True strength (Collaboration with pandamaster97720)
by Plasma Snow
Summary: Living a life with NF type one isn't always the easiest challenge. For Hiccup Haddock, the consequences and symptoms leave him feeling self-doubtful, hurt, and different. In this Modern AU story we go through different parts of his life, meeting new friends such as his girlfriend Astrid, facing challenges, and more. Written by yours truly and pandamaster97720. Ideas are welcome!
1. Two year toddler

**(A/N) Hey fellow readers! The idea for this story and most of the inspiration came from the amazing writer and creative mind,** **pandamaster97720** **. We've brought this story together to both provide you guys with a good read, AND to hopefully provide awareness for Neurofibromatosis (Type one for the most part) a disability that is more common than a lot seem to know.**

 **This will all be sort of like one-shots taking place in different sections of Hiccup's life, but all follow the same plot. Ideas are welcome, though I can't promise we'll use all of them. Enjoy!**

A tiny toddler cried in his mother's arms, squirming and trying to get free. He hadn't learned how to walk do to problems in the development of the bones in his left leg, so had to be carried everywhere if he wasn't crawling. The two year old had the attention span of a sparrow, and didn't like just sitting on a doctor's office bed in his mother's arms.

Hiccup Haddock had been born an odd baby. His doctors knew he was different, and knew something wasn't right in his development. The painful looking structure in his left leg made that obvious. What they didn't know, do to Berk's lack of the latest medical information and professional doctors, was what disability the toddler had that would make his life different forever.

"There has to be something! He's only two, and his development is already showing to be messed up. I'm tired of watching my son go through the condition he has, when I have no idea what's causing it or how to help him!" Valka shouted as the doctor ended Hiccup's appointment.

"I'm sorry ma'am, but we just don't have the knowledge nor supplies to find the rout of your son's developmental difficulties. We're a very small city in a huge world of medical discoveries, and are unfortunately low on up-to-date sources. We're trying as hard as we can." With that the doctor directed the twenty three year old young mother out the door so he could see his next client.

Hiccup was now asleep in his mother's arms, holding onto her chest tightly and cooing in his dreams. Valka smiled down at him, first brushing his auburn hair with her hand, then trailing the same gentle fingers over her boy's swollen leg. She suddenly got a text from her husband, asking how their son's appointment went.

 _How's Hiccup doing Val?_

 _He's sleeping right now._

 _You know that's not what I meant._

 _I'm sorry Stoick, the doctor's got nothing._

 _Did they at least order testing?_

 _We don't have the money for that, and Berk doesn't have the more modern technology others like us do._

 _Valka...I'm thinking it's about time we headed somewhere else._

 _..._

 _What?! Stoick you can't be serious!_

 _..._

 _Stoick?_

 _Sorry, was just thinking. Valka think about it. We both can't afford hardly anything here, we're living on the town's rations because of how much money we're spending on Hiccup's doctors and your business..._

 _Exactly! I have a business with the other special needs kids around here. What are they gonna think of me just giving up on my hometown?_

 _Val, I'm sorry, but sometimes the town doesn't care about how poor we are or what child we're raising. I'm sorry, but your going to have to chose between Hiccup's development, or the kids you work with._

Valka waited for a moment, before sighing with a tear in her eye. She tapped the next message with shaky fingers.

 _Okay...we'll have a talk when you get home._

 _Okay, I've got a fight going on right now between two head houses here in the main town. The police will probably be dealing with the argument till late. I've got to get to the building and finish up some papers for the business housing. I should be home to talk by afternoon in two days._

Another thing about the Haddocks. Valka worked with a group of special needs kids after growing up in a family of disability. The minimum wage for police officers wasn't very high in the city of Berk, so Stoick managed his own business as well. Problem was, very few wanted to work with him. He was away a _lot._

Once again Hiccup opened up big forest green eyes with a wail of confusion as he was sat in his car seat. Valka quickly shushed him with his favorite stuffed dragon she'd made him. The small boy held it close with the tiniest hands, humming little sounds with his face buried in the animal's neck.

Valka ruffled her son's hair, causing Hiccup to smile at her. The boy could smile, mimic certain noises, and crawl. Despite being two years old though, he couldn't say any words, couldn't say 'mom' or 'dad', and couldn't walk. The Haddock's still loved their son though, they just wished they knew how to help the little boy and nip the problem in the butt before he got old enough to enter school.

If only that was the case.

 **(A/N) I know this one's a bit shorter than it should've been, but it's only the first. Please check out** **pandamaster97720 profile, for they write some pretty good stories. You're all amazing! Please review too, and with ideas if you want.**


	2. New home

**(A/N) Here's the next chapter** **pandamaster97720** **and I wrote for you guys and gals. Enjoy!**

Hiccup was only two years old. This meant that as he lay on the mat on the floor, his tiny hands gripping little building blocks and a stuffed toy, he was innocent to the conversation his parents had in the next room. The Toddler could hear overwhelmed shouting, and it sometimes made him flinch. He could hear shaking voices, and he wondered if he should go hug his mother's leg like he usually did when she was upset.

Mom and dad were all the way in the kitchen though, and Hiccup couldn't walk. He could hardly crawl a distance like that, and he couldn't see his parents because the big red couch was in the way. He continued listening to mixed voices, recognizing his father's sarcastic tone and mother's giggle when his dad apparently tried to cheer her up. At least mom was happy now.

Hiccup sighed and got up on all fours to crawl to his larger mat on the floor. When he would crawl his left leg hurt and felt heavy. He didn't let this stop him though, and the only signs he showed of pain were occasional grunts. The house cat, Cloudjumper, walked by and the toddler tried to grab it's tail. Fuzzy moving objects were just interesting like that. The cat quickly ran away.

Hiccup grunted as Cloudjumper left, and he quickly shouted after the animal. Do to his lack of concentration, the two year old's crawling quickly began falling. "Oof." The sound escaped the boy's mouth as his head hit the carpet, and he grunted once more with tears stinging his eyes. For a moment he considered screaming out for his mother to come pick him up, but then spotted one of his favorite music toys on the mat he was originally heading too.

Despite the pain in his left leg and now his head, Hiccup quickly got up on all fours again and continued crawling. He reached his mat in the corner of the living room, and lay on his stomach once more with the little ball that clicked and sang in his left hand.

Hiccup shook his ball to make it keep singing to him, but got bored within a minute. He threw the ball to the side with a yell, before he grabbed a plastic star that lit up. Mom and dad began raising their voices again, and the boy cooed with a worried look in his eyes. He moved his head to the side, and sighed as he saw the two grown ups talking with their hands. Hiccup hadn't ever learned how to speak, so he didn't know what they were saying. He recognized the words 'home' and 'love' but couldn't say them himself nor understand their full meanings.

Tired of being left in the dark, Hiccup crawled off his mat and towards the kitchen. Unfortunately, the long baby gate between the arm of the couch and the half way mark of the living room stopped him. Hiccup shouted in annoyance, but neither of his parents heard him. "Gah! Ma!" He tried yelling, attempting to pronounce words but completely failing to. Again, no one heard him over the arguing.

Finally, Hiccup had had enough. He grabbed onto the baby gate, moved his legs out in front of him, and pulled himself up into a standing position. He began tipping to one side since his left leg was abnormally shorter than his right one, but managed to stand on the toes of his left one, leaning to his left and holding the gate's rails for comfort. He could do this.

Hiccup smiled in victory as he realized he was finally standing! The victorious glory quickly vanished though as he remembered the pain in his left leg. It sparked through the limb and up to his spine in one quick moment, earning a scream of agony from the toddler. Hiccup quickly felt his mother's arms scoop him up as she whispered to him.

Hiccup cooed and sniffed as his mom clutched him close to her chest. His legs flailed as he tried to get rid of the small dying fire in his left limb. A thumb wiped tears from his cheeks, and Hiccup quickly became interested in the gesture. He looked up at his mom with forest green eyes, before grabbing her thumb and running his own tiny fingers over it in his own little world. It was interesting to test the texture of her skin that was so similar to his own freckled body.

Hiccup quickly tensed when he felt his dad grab his flailing legs, and he buried his face in his mom's chest as the dull pain in his leg and now his head began making itself present again. He didn't know why his head was hurting, nor his leg, but he knew this had all happened before. Dad sighed above him, and hugged both mom and himself.

"His leg's just a bit swollen." Hiccup looked up at his father curiously as he heard the man's tired, gruff voice. He shouted with a scowl, trying to mimic his dad and show his agreement. Dad laughed, before ruffling Hiccup's hair. "What a brave boy. You stood despite knowing what happened so many times before. That's my little soldier."

Hiccup had heard many of these words before, and dad always called him his 'little soldier' what ever that meant. He couldn't repeat them, it was too hard, and he just wasn't very interested in learning the meaning to every word in the world. Right now it was just him, his mom, his dad, the mean but funny cat, and himself. Hiccup didn't want the rest of the world. He didn't want words. He _really_ didn't want the touchy doctors who drew his blood and put beeping things on him. All he wanted right now was his family. It was them against the universe.

* * *

Trees went by outside the car window, and Hiccup laughed as a bird landed on the perch of his window before being forced to fly away again. Cloudjumper was curled up in his lap, and the two year old sat strapped in his small black car seat. He had been born sensitive, and was such a small Toddler that he still used a newborn car seat faced forward.

"Gat! Oof." Hiccup tried to yell for the cat in his lap, but was quickly silenced when the feline plopped down near his stomach, knocking the breath out of him. Hiccup looked up to see dad driving their small black car and his mom in the seat beside him. He wished he didn't have to use a car seat, and could sit like him, but also knew he was small.

Hiccup reached for his sippy-cup in his seat's cup holder, taking a drink of his apple juice. He yelled out for his snacks, before his mom handed him an opened bag of gold fish. Mom and dad began laughing about his antics, talking about his confidence despite his disability. Hiccup didn't listen though, for he was in his own little world. Rain began falling around them, and the toddler reached out to touch the car window that his mom quickly rolled up as the storm started. He watched droplets roll down the glass, and smiled at the sights around him. This was a part of home he'd never seen before.

* * *

Hiccup once again became upset, and began crying loudly. He'd been so grumpy and moody lately. The house looked so much different, and mom and dad were always busy. Dad was never home anymore. He'd stay away for days at a time, saying things about work. Mom said they were in a different city, but Hiccup didn't even try to learn what all of that meant.

The arms of his mother quickly lifted Hiccup out of the play pin he was in, though the baby only continued crying. His head was pounding for unknown reasons once more, and mom tried to comfort him with a kiss on his cheek. Hiccup was tired and sad. He began growing anxious every day that his dad was gone, wondering if he wasn't coming back. Mom called it separation anxiety, and the doctor told her that was normal in toddlers.

About the doctor, Hiccup had a new one. This one was a woman named 'Doctor Ingerman'. She looked Hiccup over, and the toddler didn't like how cold her hands were on his bear skin. The woman had said she could help better than his other doctors could, but Hiccup didn't even believe he needed help. He just wanted to stay home with mom. He was fine with crawling instead of walking. He was fine with the soreness in his leg. He didn't see why his odd characteristics were such a bad thing.

How had things gone from the simple routine in Berk where Hiccup would crawl around and watch the battles outside, to such a complicated world?

 **(A/N) So, I hoped you guys and gals liked this. I decided the chapter would have a better impact if it was told from Hiccup's POV. Please leave a review, and for more information on the disability neurofibromatosis, you can look up the websites for the Children's Tumor Foundation, and Understand NF1.**


	3. Diagnosis

Defenders city. The new home for the Haddocks. Stoick was gone most of the time in order to keep up with his old jobs. He would stay in motels for days at a time, only coming home ever few days. His son had suffered separation anxiety for a while, but eventually came to realize dad always came home at some point.

On the carpet of the small Haddock house in Defenders City sat a three year old little boy. He'd recently past his third birthday, and was as maneuverable and sneaky as ever. He still never talked other than the occasional 'Ma' and 'Da' and 'Cat', but one could easily tell what was wrong if he started crying. Reason being the toddler hardly ever cried, so if he did, it was almost an instinct to go into immediate action.

Hiccup lay on his stomach on the floor, petting a kitten with tiny hands. Cloudjumper had brought a mate home, one who was blind and ill. The Haddocks knew if they gave her up, the young mother would be put down. Hence, Valka, Stoick, and Hiccup had an independent male cat, a clumsy female, and four kittens running around the house.

Valka stepped out of the kitchen with a pot of pasta and a glass bole of corn in both hands. "Well look who's taken on being babysitter." She chuckled. Hiccup made a loud squeal like sound in happiness, before patting the kitten's head and sitting with his back against the side of the couch. Valka set her two dishes down, before walking over to her son.

"You wanna come get lunch?" Hiccup shook his head, before finding the TV remote interesting and climbing over to it. Valka quickly scooped the boy up in her arms, nuzzling her nose into his neck causing him to squeal. Hiccup squirmed in her grasp, yelling out in frustration. Eventually he gave up, and went limp in his mother's arms, glaring at her the hole trip to the table.

"Oh don't be like that little one." Valka said softly. She placed the toddler in a high seat, putting a little tray over the arms of his chair. Hiccup made a sort of growling noise in his throat, crossing his arms. His mood was quickly changed when he saw his favorite food be set on his plate.

"Now, now, don't be so messy!" Hiccup didn't listen one bit. By the time the thirty minute lunch had ended, about half his corn was on his shirt, half of it was in his stomach, and a few Cheerios were on the floor (Valka's main question was how they got all the way to the TV)

The Kitchen was small and near the back of the house with the dining table right behind the counter. Valka and Stoick's room was down the hallway, last door on the left. Hiccup slept in a small room in a play pin across from theirs. Next to the master bedroom was a bathroom. Next to the dining room was the living room which was really only a small room with a box TV, long red couch, leather recliner, and Hiccup's mat. There wasn't even room for a coffee table. Upstairs were two more rooms on either side of a short hallway. Under those stairs was a closet, and at the end of that hallway was a play room. Old house, not the best appliances, decent in size, and therefor easy to pay for. Defenders city really was a helpful one, but things were a bit more expensive than on Berk because the larger population.

After lunch finally ended and Hiccup was washed up, the little boy sat on the floor once more with his mother next to him. He only wore his green shorts, making his slightly swollen shorter left leg completely visible. Valka had hoped it would get better, and even though the bones continued growing, they were still deformed. Growth spurts were a pain to deal with I'll tell you that.

Speaking of growth spurts, Valka sighed as she remembered just how underdeveloped her Toddler was. He couldn't speak, didn't make the noise a normal toddler was, was tiny compared to most, and couldn't walk. Some days his leg made it impossible to even crawl.

Trips to the store weren't easy either. People would look at Valka's boy with curiosity and confusion. It was easy to notice his shorter left leg, and the freckles covering his torso and face. It would be different if he was your typical freckled baby who was in the sun too much. This was different though. Some of the freckles, Valka had counted ten of them so far, were almost as big as her hand and lined the side of his torso under his arms and his groin area. The boy normally got itchy too do to little bumps that formed on his arms for unknown reasons. Anti itch cream or bug repellant never helped, so it obviously wasn't the doing of mosquitos or the cat's occasional flees.

When going out to restaurants or stores, there was no telling when Hiccup might have one of his occasional spurts of pain. If Valka accidently sat him up wrong in the seat of a buggy, or if he tried to stand on the chair at a McDonalds in an attempt to mimic the other kids there, the crying could last for fifteen minutes at a time. The worst part was the young mom had no idea what had hurt her son or how bad his leg really was.

Hopefully today would be a different day. Yes Hiccup and Valka were going to be going out which raised risk for a painful episode, but in the end everything should be better. Here recently Hiccup's doctor referred him to a Primary care doctor in Defenders city close to home. Only a few days ago after lab testing and different scans to figure out what was wrong with Hiccup's leg, Valka received the breath taking, mind blowing, heart squeezing phone call that there was _finally_ a diagnosis for her son. If Hiccup could have something to go by, something to tell doctors and specialists, then they could finally look for a cure or at least medications to help.

"You ready to see Doctor Ingerman?" Valka asked. Hiccup didn't listen, and continued laying on his stomach while playing with the little strings in the carpet. "Hiccup?" The boy looked up for a moment, green eyes filled with curiosity. Valka smiled, before picking up her boy and setting in her lap, causing the toddler to coo and squeal.

"Can you say 'Doctor'?" Valka tried. Many mothers had toddlers who spoke and interacted with other kids. Hiccup didn't seem to even _want_ to learn new words. He was curious about objects, lights, and even sound. What he didn't find interest in was walking, socializing, or talking.

As honestly expected, Hiccup simply went right back to playing with a string on Valka's jacket as if nothing had happened. He felt safe in his mother's arms, and seemed to now he needed an adults help to get around. This meant that he could sit in one's lap examining random objects for hours without complaint. Other toddlers wanted to run from one place to the other, hide from their parents, and occasionally throw temper tantrums. Hiccup couldn't walk, could hardly crawl without stumbling, and could talk. He couldn't do what other toddlers did.

With a sigh, Valka stood up and held her boy close to her chest. Hiccup hummed in contentment, closing his eyes and almost imediatly falling asleep with his face buried in his mother's chest. Valka new the toddler didn't like the doctor, so was grateful he was getting his rest now, knowing he would be wound up later.

* * *

As the doctors office came into view, Valka parked her small grey car in the parking lot. The back seat had boxes and umbrellas, so Hiccup's car seat was in the front passenger seat. The boy sensed the car stopping, and woke up from a long nap. He imediatly saw the doctors office, and pointed to the big double doors while shaking his head.

Valka sighed as she knew what was to come next. "Don't worry baby. No needles, no cold hands. We're just here to get results." Of course Hiccup didn't listen to the advice given. What toddler did? He shook his head again, pointing to the double doors as his mother opened his door.

It was a struggle to unbuckle the squirming boy, but Valka eventually had him secured in her arms. Hiccup held tightly to her chest with one hand, though glared at the building they were approaching with his other hand clenched into a fence. He yelled out with a gruff tone, an odd imitation of how he saw his father. Valka shook her head, and tried to get her boy to lay his head on her shoulder so he didn't see everything around him. The office inside and odd smells only scared Hiccup more.

After a while of sitting in the waiting room, Hiccup and Valka sat down on a bed in one of the rooms. Hiccup shivered against the cold, burying his face in his mother's chest. Doctor Ingerman, an elder woman with long orang-brown hair and green eyes, entered the room with a warm smile.

"Well good afternoon Hiccup. How's my favorite boy doing?" Hiccup turned to face the doctor, and his gaze went down to the floor. He made no eye contact, and grunted as if in annoyance. "Still no fan of doctors I see?" Valka chucked lightheartedly, tickling Hiccup's side and earning a happy squeal.

"You've got that right. He doesn't talk, but it's easy to tell. The hole time we were entering the building he wouldn't stop shaking his head 'no' and glaring at the doors. I think he gets the scary face from his father." Doctor Ingerman laughed this time, before taking Hiccup's tiny hand and shaking it. The toddler imediatly began warming up to her as he did every time they came here, and reached out his arms. Doctor Ingerman had no problem setting him on her knee and rocking her spinning chair from side to side, making Hiccup tired again.

"Yes. I'm a little worried about his slow development in speech, but that's sometimes common with someone like him." Valka now had her eyes fixed on the doctor, her ears listening for the words she wanted to hear so badly. _My son's alright. We can fix his leg and there's a medication for whatever illness he has._ Valka hoped to herself, though deep down she feared something else.

"I know you came here for answers today Valka, but you must know as a Doctor I sometimes have to give you answers you may not like..." Valka nodded her head, holding her baby close. "After running our tests, the office has come to realize your son has something called Neurofibromatosis type one. NF1 is a genetic disorder, either inherited or caused by a mutation."

Valka took in what the doctor said, and her eyes suddenly widened as she processed what was being said. "A genetic disorder? Is it dangerous?" Doctor Ingerman smiled warmly, waving the worry off with her hand. "NF1 isn't usually dangerous, though it can cause dangerous symptoms like high blood pressure. High blood pressure isn't extremely common in NF1, and many people live with it."

"The diagnosis isn't as dangerous as it causes complications. Symptoms can include developed scoliosis, migraines, freckling under the arms or in the groin area, none cancerous tumors, and so fourth. I've printed off some papers you can take home and read." Doctor Ingerman handed Valka the papers, holding onto Hiccup who tried to get off her lap and onto the floor.

Valka nodded, feeling both nervous for her son and relieved for the answers. "Migraines...that explains his sudden headaches and sensitivity. I once worked with kids who had them. None cancerous tumors...are those dangerous?" She questioned in a quiet voice.

"I can't say rather they're dangerous or not Mrs. Haddock because it always depends. Some don't even develop them, others develop many. We'll have to keep an eye on your son's development before those kinds of conclusions can be made." Valka nodded, and grabbed her son just as they were about to leave.

"Thank you Doctor Ingerman." Valka thanked the doctor as they were about to leave the front doors to Hiccup's relief. "No problem Valka. If you need help with developmental recourses after doing your own research, my husband and I are always ready to help. We know what it's like to be raising a little one who's disabled."

Valka smiled sympathetically and nodded. "Your grandson?" Doctor Ingerman smiled sadly as well. "We couldn't just let him go after his parents...you know. It's just hard dealing with a blind-deaf child with a tendency to get into trouble as much as Fishlegs does."

Valka looked down at Hiccup, a friend to the Ingerman's boy despite their differences. The two would build together even though Fishlegs could hardly see. It was proven he could see a little bit, though was completely deaf. Hiccup didn't talk anyways, and didn't care if his friend could see him. Fishlegs would lay on his stomach while stacking two or three blocks at a time. Hiccup would build a little tower, using Fishleg's structures as supports. It was their most favorite thing to do. The Ingerman's boy was only a few months older than the Haddock's, Hiccup born in February, Fishlegs in June.

"I can only imagine. If you and your husband ever need it, I'm sure Hiccup would love to have a playdate with your grandson. Fishlegs is honestly the only other toddler I've ever seen him socialize with." Both woman chuckled and shared a handshake, before Valka and Hiccup went home to do their research.


	4. Special

Three year old Hiccup Haddock sat in a stroller at the Defenders city park. He held his stuffed dragon in one hand, using the other to point at birds flying by. Valka was on the phone with the nearby pre-school in town. You see, here recently after learning her son's diagnosis she decided to start working again like her husband. The young mother planned to work at an equestrian therapy in the city, about half an hour from home. She would work as a stable woman and staff member while her son was at preschool, coming home around two PM when the school closed. The program was like a school and daycare combined.

After getting off the phone, Valka lifted her bored son out of his stroller, setting him on the bench next to her. Hiccup imediatly crawled to the end of the bench, and climbed down onto a mat his mother lay down nearby on the grass. He grunted in pain when pressure was applied to his leg, but somehow managed to climb with only three fully functioning limbs.

"Well you're just an energetic little one aren't you." A confident woman's voice suddenly spoke up. She walked over to the bench with a little three year old girl walking at her side and holding her hand. The woman had long blond hair in a braid and blue green eyes. She had very feint freckles, and a long blue jean skirt with it's rim up to her center torso. A red half shirt covered the rest of her thin form.

"Hello." Valka greeted, gesturing for the woman to sit down. "Sorry for taking your bench, but sometimes this little one is just too much to keep up with without needing a break." The other young mother gestured to her daughter who did a handstand before falling next to Hiccup on her stomach.

"Wow! She's a smart one isn't she?" Valka commented, awestruck. "That she is. She's got the strength of her father, and isn't clumsy like I once was. I just have no idea how she gets so much energy." Valka couldn't help but chuckle at that despite how sympathetic she felt for the warn out woman.

"Oh Gods, I feel you there one hundred percent. Hiccup here may not be able to walk, but if I turn my head for even a _second_ , you'd think he'd run a mile. I've found him at the top of the stairs, on the back of the couch, in the kitchen after somehow knocking over the baby gate, and so fourth. Lets not forget how they always seem to surprise us with their problem solving skills." The other woman burst out laughing for a moment at hearing Valka's rant.

"Oh deer, I must sympathize with you. Another parent who has one like little Astrid here?" The mother gestured to her daughter. "I'm grateful someone understands...but that _has_ to be trouble to deal with." She took notice of the fact Valka was the only other adult there. "Do you have a support in raising uh...Hiccup you said?" Valka nodded, before wrapping her arms around herself self consciously.

"Well...His father helps when he can, but unfortunately in order to keep up his business he has to travel back and fourth from the city and our old home town. We just recently moved here because Berk didn't have the resources needed to help our son." Astrid's mother nodded sympathetically, laying a strong hand on Valka's shoulder.

"I can't say I know all you've been through, but I _can_ understand the position. My husband fights in the army after being forced to be a soldier. When he was a teenager, the city we previously lived in made the boys who could pass a certain fitness test sign an agreement to go into the army if they were needed if they wanted any of the school's resources to help him. It wasn't until a month after our Astrid was born that he got the call..." Astrid's mom trailed off, and Valka lay a hand over her own heart.

"I can hardly imagine...I always feared for my husband in the police force...but the army is a hole other situation." Astrid's mother nodded, then forced a smile while holding her hand out. "Ingrid. Ingrid Hofferson." Valka smiled and took the other woman's hand. "Valka. Valka Haddock."

Suddenly a cry echoed through the air, and both mothers turned their heads towards their kids instinctively. Their eyes gazed over the two kids on the ground, looking for a sign saying which one was hurt. When Hiccup squealed a second time, Ingrid imediatly grabbed him and handed him to his mother.

"Hey common Hiccup. What's the matter?" Astrid's eyes grew wide as her new friend was taken from her, and got up to lay a hand on Hiccup's leg. The other toddler cooed at the touch, but tensed when her hand ran over his left leg.

"It's almost like she knows what's hurting him..." Valka whispered with her gaze on the little girl. Ingrid cocked her head to the side, before realizing Valka was right. "Hey Astrid...do you know how he got hurt?" She asked. Astrid looked down almost guiltily, shrugging her shoulders. "I uh...I accidentally tumbled on him." She confessed, baby blue eyes fixed on the toddler held in his mother's arms. "What's wrong with his leg?" She asked with curiosity, noticing the limb was shorter and bent oddly.

Ingrid wanted to tell her daughter not to be nosy, but honestly couldn't help her own curiosity as well. Valka smiled in understanding. She rubbed her son's back who cooed in contentment. "Hiccup has Neurofibromatosis type one. It caused the bones in his leg to be developed oddly and causes speech delay." Ingrid's eyebrows raised as she realized that explained a lot of her observations about the boy.

"I believe I've heard of that diagnosis. My sister has a step father with it." Ingrid explained, laying a hand on Hiccup's shoulder as well. The boy quickly began squirming, obviously not hurting anymore as the fire faded. He smiled down at Astrid, reaching his hands out to her. Astrid laughed, holding his hands in hers. "He's a weird one ma. I like him." The three year old girl said enthusiastically, making both the woman above her laugh.

Valka looked at her watch, before realizing she was almost late to take Hiccup to school. "Well I'd love to let Hiccup play longer, he doesn't get many friends, but unfortunately I've got to get him to pre-school ASAP." Ingrid smiled brightly at this, not the expected reaction. "Is it the school on Mace ST?" She asked, and now Valka smiled.

"Astrid goes there as well. How about we follow you two?" Both mother's agreed, before getting in their cars to take their kids to school.

* * *

After Hiccup and Astrid were taken out of their cars by their parents, both of them smiled at the sight of all the kids around them. Astrid was used to going to pre-school, and imediatly jumped out of her mother's arms to race up to her favorite teacher. Hiccup on the other hand...didn't seem so confident.

"Common sweaty. You'll love it here." Valka whispered as she carried her son into the building. The pre-school had a program for special needs children, and one of Hiccup's teachers agreed to help him get around. A middle aged woman with two teenagers of her own named Mala. She had may not have been the most gentle person, but you could tell just by watching her interact at the school that she had a natural mother's instinct and protective instinct.

Hiccup struggled in his mother's grasp as he was handed over to Mala, before glaring at the woman above him and shouting in his own little language with a voice that mimicked his father's gruff one. "Now, now, there's no need for all of that." Mala said sternly but quietly. Hiccup quieted down a little, before Mala rocked him slowly from side to side while humming a quiet tune. The boy in her arms smiled at her singing voice, before looking over her shoulder to see Astrid running around with her friends. Two of them were fraternal yet identical twins, and the other was none other than Hiccup's distant cousin on his father's side.

Hiccup looked up at Mala as his mother left for work, pointing at Astrid. The teacher smiled with a nod. "You'll be with her in the classroom." And with that they went to class.

* * *

The school day was half way over and Hiccup was already bored. He had gestured for Mala to set him down, and crawled into a cubby hole where he'd fallen asleep for a few minutes before being woken up by the teacher giving him something he was supposed to color involving the alphabet. After he was done scribbling over the paper, he went right back to sitting in his new favorite spot quietly.

After Mala let Hiccup have some space, knowing the toddler was in a mood, Astrid walked closer to him with a smile. She sat down on his left side, trying to pull the tiny boy out of the cubby with little success. With a huff, the three year old girl turned her back on him and leaned against the leg of a chair.

"You're weird. You know that?" Hiccup didn't give a response. "Why can't you talk?" More silence. Astrid turned around, taking his hands in hers like at the park. Hiccup finally paid her some attention, looking into her eyes with confusion filled ones of his own.

"Why don't you play? This ain't fun." Astrid said enthusiastically, ruffling the boy's hair like her dad would do to her when he was home. Hiccup grunted in response, shrugging his shoulders. The three year old girl sighed once again while shaking her head. "Alright...I guess I'll sit here." She said with sadness in her voice. Hiccup looked up as she again turned her back to him, and realized he felt sad as well for reasons unknown.

Astrid jumped a bit in her skin when a tiny hand lay on her shoulder. The toddler smiled when Hiccup pulled on her shirt so she would turn around. He moved to a sitting position, rubbing his left leg as if it irritated him. Astrid reached out to touch it, though she didn't understand when the boy pulled away.

"Does it hurt?" Astrid asked. Hiccup shook his head, grunting in response. The girl once again touched the odd looking leg, this time going slower. In response, Hiccup remained still with confused eyes. He grabbed Astrid's hand with his, lifting it off his leg and holding it with both of his.

Astrid almost expected Hiccup to say something as he looked down at her hand in his grasp, though the boy only made confused and happy noises. She soon became bored and stood up. Hiccup watched as she stumbled, falling on her stomach. The girl quickly recovered though, filling her arms with blocks and running back over to Hiccup.

Hiccup smiled as blocks were dumped in front of him, before beginning to stack them up on top of each other. Mala walked over to check on him, and smiled at the sight in front of her. Valka had asked the teacher to help her son socialize because that wasn't his strong suit. What no one expected was for the boy to make friends on his own, let alone in such a short amount of time.

This was one special girl.


	5. Playdate

Hiccup Haddock sat at a desk with his legs dangling above the carpet below him. He held a crayon in one hand, a handful of goldfish in the other. Only a little longer to go before he turned four years old. His mother kept talking about his fourth birthday with her friends and his teachers.

Speaking of Hiccup's teachers, as the child neared his fourth year of life, they began noticing his differences more and more. Not just the problems he had because his leg, but his inability to speak and learn like everyone else. He learned his own way, and got frustrated if other kids interfered with his way of life. The boy got headaches often, and do to his struggles compared to everyone else in the classroom, seemed stressed often.

Astrid was a pretty good support for Hiccup. The girl would chat with him for hours on end despite how little answers she got. Hiccup would copy her gestures with his hands, leaving Mala curious as to weather or not she should attempt teaching him a few signs. Perhaps when he was a little older. She was a speech therapist herself, so would be the perfect one for teaching the little boy she'd grown attached to.

Hiccup didn't focus on the drawing in front of him, and never grasped the concept of letters on paper. He seemed to find it hard to draw or color, his motor gross skills a bit underdeveloped compared to his fellow classmates.

Today Valka had talked with Mrs. Hofferson and Mr. and Mrs. Ingerman about Fishlegs and Astrid coming over. After preschool was finished she'd pick up the three kiddos and bring them home for a playdate with her son. She'd set up at isolated play mat with a small been bag chair and swing with a little fence around for Fishlegs to stay in when she had to go do something and wanted to let the boy have his own independence. The plan was she'd cook dinner while Astrid, Fishlegs, and Hiccup sat in the fenced in area on the carpet, before they all three headed to the back yard to play in the grass and with a few toy balls.

As Hiccup sat at his desk with a look of concentration plastered on his face, Mala watched him curiously. She sat down while taking one of his tiny hands in hers, ruffling his hair a bit. "Hey Hiccup. You going okay over here?" Hiccup simply grunted in response, chewing on the back of his hand that held the crayon in it. Mala watched closely to make sure he didn't put the actual crayon in his mouth.

"Are you having fun?" Mala tried asking. She knew Hiccup couldn't speak for reasons unknown, perhaps a problem in development caused by Neurofibromatosis, but she had yet to learn if he could understand other people and what they were trying to say. Sure enough the little Haddock boy looked up at her with curious forest green eyes, smiling lopsidedly.

"Alright. Would you like to do something other than color?" Hiccup giggled to himself with a coo, seeming to find having a conversation a funny topic. He pointed to an isolated space under the window which had blocks and little shiny trinkets to put together. Mala frowned and looked at Snotlout and the Thorsten twins playing in the corner.

"You wanna take the blocks to the other kids and play with them?" Hiccup made a sort of whining sound, shaking his head. Okay, he could understand other people alright, just didn't like talking. "Why not?" Hiccup swung his legs under the desk he sat at, hitting the table with his right hand. Mala noticed small bumps on his hands that had been popping up recently. She and a few other teachers had read up on the boy's condition, and learned that small bumps could grow on the skin of someone with NF1 along with tumors in the nervous system. Some were noticeable, some weren't. So far, the three and a half year old didn't have any. Hopefully it'd stay that way.

Suddenly Hiccup lay his face in his crossed arms on the desk, mumbling to himself as if talking to another person in his own little language. The Thorsten twins, a duo of toddlers who looked exactly alike despite being fraternal twins known as Ruffnut and Tuffnut, suddenly got into a fight nearby. As one of the three teachers in the playroom tried to separate them, Tuffnut hit the wall causing a few books on a shelf to fall. The books fell into a box of blocks, causing a loud banging and cracking sound to echo through the room for a split second. In that split second Hiccup suddenly jerked his head up with a cry of what seemed to be pain, before biting his bottom lip so hard it drew blood.

"Hiccup! Woah easy there kiddo. Easy." Mala scooped Hiccup into her arms, patting the crying boy on the back while his head rested on her shoulder. She felt something wet on her neck, and upon closer observation saw his bleeding lip. "Throk grab me a wipe and anti bacterial ointment." Mala commanded the only male teacher out of the three. Throk nodded without complaint, grabbing the objects needed. He held onto Hiccup as the boy squirmed and yelled in his hold, allowing the leader of the preschool playroom to dab at the visible wound.

"There you go Hiccup. Throk can you hold onto him? I've got to go help set up for parents to pick up. We're low on staff today." Throk nodded with a smile, brushing orange-red hair out of his face and pulling his black sleeves over his arms to prevent a flailing three year old from leaving scratch marks on his skin.

"Common kiddo. What's got you so upset Hiccup?" Hiccup squirmed in the man's grasp, but calmed a little once his face was pressed against the block cloth of his teacher's shirt. Throk took notice of this, and realized Hiccup wanted it to be dark. He saw the boy was holding his ears with both hands, at the same time applying pressure to his temples best he could with his forearms.

 _The doctor said he's been having migraines more often recently._ Throk recalled Valka once telling the teachers in a meeting for special kids such as Hiccup. _Please try and keep an eye on it? He understands the words 'Head-ache' and 'Hurt', though won't ever say them._

"You really are an odd one." Throk said quietly to the boy in his arms. Hiccup made a cooing sound, before whining once more. "Do you have a head-ache?" Hiccup looked up at Throk through squinted forest green eyes, before slowly shaking his head. The man smiled warmly, before holding the boy closer and inviting him into the comforting darkness the cloth of his shirt provided once more.

* * *

"Thank you. I'm sure it'll subside soon." Valka thanked Throk as he and Mala helped load Astrid, Fishlegs, and Hiccup into the car. Fishlegs-do to being deaf-blind, had to have help being strapped into his car seat, then had to be calmed thanks to overstimulation. Valka had learned ways to calm the boy down, such as causing vibrations on his neck or shoulders with your mouth or a music box.

Astrid sat next to Hiccup in her own booster. She fought against her seat belts, reaching over to pat the back of the little boy curled into a ball in his own seat, head held in tiny hands. She ran tiny fingers through his hair, and Valka realized the motion seemed to calm her own son.

"Have you done this for him before?" Valka asked Astrid as she finally got the girl to buckle in. Astrid simply shrugged her shoulders, smiling brightly at the woman above her and mumbling to quietly and shyly for Valka to understand.

After arriving home, Hiccup's headache had finally begun to subside. Valka turned down most of the lights in the room, and sat each kid in the fences in play area in the living room. Astrid played with stuffed animals, making them fight each other and then make up. Fishlegs sat in small swing, laughing as a small music toy flashed near him. He could hardly see, and couldn't hear at all, though do to his very slight ability to see he enjoyed watching different colored lights.

Hiccup lay on his stomach on the same mat Fishleg's swing was on. The flashing music toy had it's volume off, though still caused vibrations in the floor. Hiccup pressed his ear against the carpet, finding the vibrations soothing to his migraine. He watched Astrid while laying down, giggling when one animal would win a fight against another, and hitting his fist against the ground in applause when they'd hug afterwards.

Valka watched the three kids play from the kitchen where she made a sandwich for herself and mash potato's with bits of corn and peas for the kids. Astrid was a very smart kid, though she didn't like the same things the other kids liked and therefor had few friends. Hiccup couldn't talk nor walk, and therefor preferred staying in his own little world do to his differences. Fishlegs couldn't hear the world around him, and could hardly see it, so like Hiccup stayed in his own little world. Somehow when you put the three together, they seemed like a small group of humans alien to this world, though matched each other perfectly.

Eventually Hiccup's head ache subsided enough for him to sit up, and he let his legs rest out in front of himself near Astrid. The girl gave him a toy dinosaur and his stuffed dragon, gesturing for Hiccup to play along. Hiccup did as he was told, joining in on the battle. Both kids paused their battle long enough to sit in front of Fishleg's swing, holding onto his hands for a second when they'd swing out playfully in front of them, then letting go when the boy pulled away. It seemed like the group of three year olds had invented a multiplayer game only they understood, though that didn't mean Valka didn't have fun watching.

Hours after the three kids had warn themselves out, Hiccup and Valka were met by a happy surprise. Stoick walked through the front door, slouching with aching shoulders. Despite this, the older business man smiled brightly at the sight of his son and his friends.

"Well if it isn't my little soldier. I see you've finally managed to find someone to play with eh?" Hiccup squealed in delight as his father lifted him from the play area, making both Fishlegs and Astrid echo his laughter. The boy swung his arms happily in the air, before grasping his father's beard in tiny hands and hugging his dad's face close.

"Stoick!" Valka ran into her husband with enough force to make him stumble for a moment. The man quickly wrapped his arms around his wife, letting Hiccup rest on his giant shoulder. After about three minutes of the boy getting reacquainted with his father, he imediatly wanted to go back with his friends.

Valka and Stoick watched as Hiccup crawled back to his game with Astrid and Fishlegs. What surprised the both of them was when Astrid made her animals walk up Hiccup's left leg, calling the boy a forest as her imagination took control. It wasn't Astrid's antics that surprised them of course, but rather Hiccup's reaction. He never let _anyone_ touch his leg without some sort of protest. Not until now at least. Now...he didn't even look at the leg, just kept playing as if he didn't notice whatsoever and left his leg limp so the animals Astrid stacked on it wouldn't fall over.

Sure Hiccup faced problems such as migraines, social anxiety, separation from his father, and speech delay every day he faced at school; though it all seemed worth it when he'd play with his friends at the end of a long day.

 **(A/N) I must leave you readers off with a warning here, though just because I leave this I do still hope you read, follow, and review.**

 **Rather than updating every day to every other day, I'm afraid my updating schedule for both this story and my other story on this website will be a bit slower with the oncoming weeks. I recently got a new job, my first job at that, and once school starts back up along with therapy once a week after school, working three to four days a week after school, and going to my dad's and/or grandma's house every weekend to every other weekend, my life's gonna start getting pretty busy. I'm planning on trying to stay up later every night so I can continue updating though, it just won't be as fast.**

 **Life of a sixteen (almost seventeen) year old fanfiction addict I suppose.**

 **You're all amazing! Plasma Snow peace out! (And once again, thank you to** **pandamaster97720 for writing this story with me)**


	6. Wheelchair

A grumpy four year old was what Valka had to deal with today. The boy had been upset ever since saying goodbye to his dad after a weekend of father-son activities. The two had went to the park, to the zoo, and to a nearby restaurant where Hiccup ate his first milkshake. That was an adventure.

Waving goodbye was Hiccup's least favorite part of his father's visit. Stoick had been staying in motels a lot recently do to his job being so far away, and often had to cancel visits because new things came up in either the business or the police force.

Despite the little boy's grumpy attitude, Valka still tried to work with her son. She'd been trying to get him to sit in a small wheelchair now that he was too big for a stroller, and had been trying to help him talk. The teachers in preschool had had meetings with the young mother on many occasions regarding her son's education. They began to worry about his slow speech development and problem solving skills. Do to the struggle Hiccup had with gross motor skills (this can be common in Neurofibromatosis) he found it hard to write draw or answer problems on paper such as connect the dot puzzles. His speech delay was becoming more and more obvious as every other four year old in his class began maturing at a normal speed.

"Common Hiccup. I need you to sit in _this_ chair for me." Hiccup didn't like the wheelchair his doctor had helped him get, and was a bit to small for it anyways. The chair was small enough for a regular sized four year old to wheel by himself, but had retractable poles for an adult to adjust and push the chair themselves. Hiccup was small compared to other four year olds, and had to stretch his arms all the way out to roll the wheels. He didn't like his mother pushing him around either. Similar to with his old stroller, the boy didn't mind just crawling around do to his inability to walk thanks to his shortened and oddly shaped left leg. It didn't hurt as much anymore, so why couldn't he just crawl on it?

Valka sighed when her son shook his head and sat farther back on the arm of the red couch. That seemed his favorite spot nowadays. When he was a toddler the boy _loved_ to crawl from mat to mat and engage with the world around him. As he grew though, Valka was beginning to realize her son was smart enough to know he was different than everyone else. He only played with Astrid and Fishlegs. He didn't like to move around when they weren't with him. Instead he'd sit on the arm of the couch as if it was a horse, both his legs on either side of the seat. At school he always stayed in a cubby or at his desk according to Mala, and do to his difficulty drawing or placing objects, didn't like playing the games the other kids would play. Many four year olds in the preschool enjoyed hide and seek. They never invited Hiccup to play since he couldn't walk.

"Hiccup listen to me. It doesn't matter if you're different. I'm your mother and I love you." Hiccup looked at Valka with a scowl at first, before his expression softened. He reached out his arms with a giggle, seeming to want to make his mother feel better by doing what she wanted. Valka smiled and lifted the boy up, setting him back down in his wheelchair. Hiccup sat on his knees in the chair, feeling the metal wheels curiously. He seemed to like the texture of their rubber covers, making cooing and clicking sounds with his throat.

"See it's not so bad. You can still move around in your chair. It's not like the high seat." Hiccup glared at the high seat in the corner of the room the second it was mentioned. He _hated_ confined to one seat, and only accepted it because that's where he usually had snacks.

Valka sighed with relief when her son sat down in his wheelchair with a smile, thinking he was finally going to get with the program. Soon enough though he wanted out of the seat, needing to go to the restroom. The young mom sighed deeply with a weak smile when her son lifted his arms once more, pointing to the bathroom down the hallway.

"Alright, alright." Valka said with a chuckle as Hiccup squirmed in her grasp. It wasn't until this past year that he finally grasped the concept of potty training. He hadn't had an accident since his birthday in February when he was having too much fun with Astrid, Fishlegs, and some of his teachers who liked him to notice his need to go.

After Hiccup was done using his smaller model of the toilet, he raised his arms once more for his mother. This was a regular thing. If Hiccup needed to get a far distance, needed to reach something high up, or had sore arms and legs from crawling all the time, he'd 'ask' for assistance. His mother had to be nearby most of the time for this reason. After using the bathroom, do to his inability to use a stool because he couldn't stand on his own, Hiccup would need his mom or a teacher at preschool to lift him onto the counter. There he knew how to turn the knobs, rinse his hands, and use hand sanitizer. He didn't use soap a lot of the time for the soul purpose he and a few others he knew had an odd desire to eat soap. Four year old thing perhaps?

Valka lifted her son from the sink once he'd washed his hands, and the boy climbed on her shoulder. They both walked into the living room, where Hiccup was quickly sat in his chair. He struggled as his mother held him in it for a moment, then smiled when he saw her open the front door to a bright and sunny day.

* * *

"It's beautiful today. Right Hiccup?" Valka asked her son who sat on his knees in the wheelchair. He held onto one of the arms, seeming to feel a little off balance in the new contraption. "Hiccup?" Hiccup looked up at his mother with a smile. Bright forest green eyes made her remember the curious little boy he was on the inside. She also remembered how hard it had become for her son to release that curiosity and energy.

"Hiccup, can you say yes?" Hiccup looked down at his hands, a frown crossing his face. Did he know what she was talking about? Did Hiccup know how to talk, but just didn't want to? Maybe it was something deeper? Perhaps it was so hard for him to talk he just refused to learn. To put in the effort to do something he didn't want to put his mind to. Such complex thinking to figure someone so young out.

"Hiccup?" Hiccup grunted in response, nodding his head with a smile. His nose was scrunched up and eyes narrowed despite the smile though. An action the boy portrayed when he was annoyed. Valka stopped the wheelchair, and kneeled on the ground so she was eye level with her son.

"I know you don't want to-or eh...find it harder to speak, but you _have_ to try." Hiccup didn't listen to a single word, and instead squealed out and touched his mother's face. He no longer looked annoyed, just happy she was right there with him, as if all he needed to be happy was her.

Valka couldn't help but smile at that thought. She knew deep down that her son couldn't have that naïve thought forever though. In school, as an adult, at the store, he wouldn't be able to just rely on her. One day she'd be too weak to lift him out of his chair. One day people weren't going to accept simple grunts and whines in response to their questions. She had to at least _try_ to help her on who didn't want to be helped. It was her duty as a mother to him.

"Hiccup, is it a nice day out?" Hiccup smiled and nodded his head. Valka smiled. Okay, there went step one. "I don't want you to nod your head Hiccup. Can you _say_ yes?" Hiccup raised an eyebrow, seeming confused. Okay, maybe take a step back. "Hiccup, can you say mom?" Hiccup smiled brightly, throwing his hands in the air as if he was proud of himself. "Ma!" He shouted out.

'Ma' was one of the few words Hiccup _could_ say without problem, though he preferred to use gestures over sounds. Maybe getting him to say words he _did_ know would help him grasp the concept of _learning_ words he didn't know.

"Good. High five?" Hiccup laughed loudly, raising his hand and high fiving his mother with all the force he could use. "Alright. Now can you say 'yes'?" The little boy's eyes widened, and he finally seemed to grasp the concept. He opened his mouth, only to close it again. Why? Was there something wrong with getting the word _out_ even if he _did_ know it?

"Hiccup...why can't you say 'yes'?" Valka frowned when Hiccup turned his back to her, deciding to go back to his own little world and play with the rubber on the arm of his chair. She knew this wasn't a time to take things to heart, and she also knew she shouldn't get frustrated with her son. This was hard though. The boy didn't even seem to want to try. It was just that hard for him to come out of his shell.

"Okay." Valka said quietly. She ran a finger through her boy's hair, making Hiccup look at her with confusion. "Why don't we go play at the swings. I can push you?" Hiccup imediatly lit up like a Christmas tree. His eyes sparkled and his smile shown. He pointed to the playground nearby, trying to use both hands to roll one wheel of the chair. Valka couldn't help but laugh as well at her son's antics.

 **(A/N) There you have it. Chapter six is out! I hope you enjoy it, and I've seen this story has a lot of views but not many reviews. I don't mind of course, but reviews do inspire one to write for sure if you like fast updates. I'm also free to ideas, though I'm not sure I'll be able to write all of them down. You're amazing!**


	7. Speech

A little boy sat down in his wheelchair with both hands holding onto one side. His mother and speech/animal therapist had been trying to teach him to sit down on his backside with both hands on the wheels or at least arms of the chair. Hiccup Haddock, now four and a half years old, didn't like sitting still though and was always on his knees, crawling around in the small chair and waving to nearby animals.

Hiccup didn't talk much now, same as before. Just like he did almost half a year ago, the boy only knew words like 'ma' and recently learned the words 'yes' and 'no'. Valka had found out when her boy spoke, even when saying such simple words, he had a hard time pronouncing certain things. For example the last 'M' in 'Mom' was hard to pronounce, and if he was exited he'd repeat the 'y' in 'yes' numerous times before actually getting to the 'es'. Same concept with the 'N' in 'No'. Mala, Stoick, and Valka didn't know if the speech difficulty was because Hiccup got himself over exited when speaking, or if there was something deeper going on within his brain. Either way, the doctors had confirmed speech delay was common with Neurofibromatosis type one.

"Hiccup, can you just _try_ sitting down?" Hiccup understood quiet a few words to an extent, but there seemed to be only a select few that he fully understood. Full sentences usually had to be followed by gestures to help him understand. Single words though seemed easier. Words that Hiccup did know were 'try', 'animal', 'dog', 'mom', 'dad', 'help', 'hurt', 'headache', 'sit/sitting', 'chair', 'desk', and 'park'. These were the vocabulary words that the four year old knew so well he could connect them with pictures. The big problem with learning new vocabulary words was getting Hiccup to actually pronounce them though.

Hiccup looked up at his mother with big forest green eyes. He wore a simple short sleeve shirt and shorts, today being one of the more rare heated days in Defenders City. He frowned with a sigh, though sat down as instructed. Both the woman pushing his chair smiled, before Mala kneeled down and made Hiccup laugh with a fist bump.

The trio consisting of a mother, son, and therapist walked through rows of dog, bird, cat, badger, etc. cages, along with snake, frog, salamander, and fish tanks. Mala worked part time at the preschool during the week, the animal shelter here in defenders city weekends. She was a therapist full time, though ran her own sort of business online. If her clients needed her, she'd make an appointment, though there was no set schedule. A true born multitasker for sure.

Today Mala was using animals in an attempt to get Hiccup to _want_ to cooperate with the speech therapy rather than just going along with everything said to him. At first it seemed like a great idea. What problem developed along the way? Well why as the four year old liked birds and cats, he seemed to have a fear of most other larger animals.

As Hiccup's chair was wheeled along a pathway leading through the dog kennels, he quickly covered his ears and whined out in an attempt to stop himself from hearing the barking. The boy had quiet enjoyed the birds up front, so Mala wanted to show him the larger cages of them in the back. Problem was, to get to the larger birds they had to pass the dogs.

After several attempts to comfort her boy and stop him from crying, Valka decided to simply lift him out of his chair and carry him the rest of the way. Hiccup wasn't too heavy to carry, his body size closer to a new toddler than a four year old young boy do to the smaller genes running in her side of the family. The boy imediatly buried his face in his mother's shoulder, before using his right fist and lightly tapping his temples.

"You have a headache Hiccup?" Valka tried to confirm her son's silent words. The boy made a grunting sound in response, slowly nodding his head as a tear trickled down his cheek. His mother imediatly felt pain for her son, and rubbed his back soothingly while instinctively shielding every bit of him she could with her arms and shirt from any dangers around.

It seemed like the walk through the dog's side of the shelter took forever, mostly because Hiccup wouldn't stop squirming. Mala pushed his chair and tried to shush the untrained dogs who were barking. Just as the three neared the end of the row, something seemed to catch Hiccup off guard. One of the dogs, isolated from the rest, made such a high pitched whine it sounded more like a whistle. When Hiccup shouted loudly do to the pain in his head, his own whine sounded equal to the mutt's.

Irritation in his eyes, Hiccup looked over his mother's shoulder and pointed to the medium sized black mutt in his isolated cage accusingly. Valka turned around, her son following the movements. She looked at the four year old in her arms, raising an eyebrow. "Oh...he can't help it my boy." Hiccup looked down sadly, catching onto the tone of his mother.

Suddenly the black mutt barked again. This time it was quieter, but he still made a high pitch noise that worsened Hiccup's developing migraine. The boy pointed to the dog once more, before glaring slightly. "No!" He shouted, surprising both his mother and speech therapist. Hiccup never really talked without someone coaxing him, even the simple words. This was a first.

The dog in his cage barked once more, seeming just as defiant as the four year old Haddock. Hiccup squirmed in his mom's arm, trying to get her to let him go. "You can't crawl on this dirty ground." Valka tried to tell her son, only to be completely ignored. Mala smiled warmly, before reaching into a bag she had over her shoulder. It was similar to a leather purse, though was sown into her black uniform.

"I figured he might want to see the animals, most kids do. This' clean so he won't get those hands cut or dirty." Mala lay a long foldout orange mat on the concrete ground lined with cages, before Hiccup was gently sat down on it. The four year old crawled over to the black dogs cage, causing the mutt to back up a few paces. The dog was about two times the boy's size, obviously still pretty young. It's back came up to Valka's knees, it's neck oddly long and able to extend high enough for his ears to reach her waist. Hiccup didn't seem fazed by the size at all, and reached into the cage. The mutt cowered back a little more.

Hiccup giggled when the dog backed up, thinking this some sort of game. When the mutt's tail hit the back of the wall, it yelped knowing it was corners. In response, Hiccup held his head with both hands, yelling out once more. Another tear trickled down his cheek and he lay on his side. Valka imediatly tried to grab for her son, though Mala stopped her.

"Hang on a minute. I really want to see what happens. This could help us." Valka raised an eyebrow, at first instinctively thinking Mala crazy. Her son needed help! Then she saw what the therapist was talking about. The isolated black dog saw the small child in a state of distress, and slowly approached while whimpering, knowing he'd done something wrong. That's when Valka noticed the medium-small dog was missing it's back left leg, causing it to have to limp. That must've been why it was separated from the rest. He was small and vulnerable. In a way...it resembled Hiccup. A little boy who was smaller and more vulnerable the rest. Who didn't have friends because he was too busy trying to figure his own little world out.

Hiccup flinched when the black dog sniffed his hair, before looking up. The cages above him blocked out the light his head was sensitive to, and the dog was now quiet. Hiccup sat on his knees once more, swaying a little do to pain induced dizziness. He smiled weekly and reached out his right hand to lay on the mutt's mouth. The dog obliged out of slight hesitation, pressing his head against Hiccup's hand through the bars of the cage.

Valka and Mala smiled at the sight in front of them, and decided to let the dog out. Mala had him on a leash, and Valka held Hiccup in her lap. After both little boys got used to each other, they met halfway in the middle of the mat, both of their guardians letting go. The second Hiccup and his new found friend could move freely, the black mutt offered the four year old a place to rest his head. The boy smiled and curled up against the dog's side who lay down as if completely trained and docile.

Mala and Valka watched the sight in aww. The young mother had tears in her own eyes. Ever since her son was around two and had started having migraines, leg pains, and an inability to let out his energy properly, she rarely got to see him so peaceful. Hiccup didn't care about his inability to walk, the pain in his head, nor anyone around him. He simply buried his face in the loose fur of the young dog beside him, breathing slowly and cooing in his own little language. The dog himself simply lay there contently, occasionally sniffing his new boy and mostly looking around as if on guard watch.

After a few minutes, Valka kneeled down on the mat and pet the dog on the head gently. The mutt then did something extraordinary. He seemed to try and mimic Valka's smile, though instead of his teeth showing in a 'cheese' gesture like with a camera, her simply pulled the sides of his mouth up and squinted his eyes. His teeth seemed to almost push back, being completely taken from view.

"His previous owners named him Toothless." Mala explained after seeing Valka's shocked state. The other woman looked up confused. "They took him from their family members who were abusive, hence Toothless' hesitation to interact with humans. They couldn't keep him do to having to move out of the city, and dropped him off here knowing we have a policy against euthanizing our pets." Mala continued. Valka seemed to understand, before smiling down at Toothless who went back to blowing warm air in Hiccup's hair.

"Toothless. An odd name for sure, but the name doesn't matter." Valka looked up at Mala, hope filling her eyes. I know we didn't come here looking for any kind of service animal, but do you think if we re-homed him he could help Hiccup?" Mala looked at the boy and dog a little longer, before nodding confidently.

"I think that'd be nice. You'll have to agree to help him up stairs, to his food, and use a harness when taking him on regular walks though. We in Defenders city believe all innocent living beings should be given not just a second chance, but a new beginning when injured like Toothless here. It'll be hard because his disability but..." The therapist kneeled down, rubbing Hiccup's shoulder who was tense do to his headache. Toothless seemed to be helping with that though. "You've already dealt with similar." Valka nodded, giving Mala a brief hug.

The rest of the day after Hiccup's migraine finally became bearable, he was wheeled around with Toothless walking with a harness by his side. Mala had tried to teach the boy name's of animals, gestures, and people. Unfortunately the four year old had a harder time learning than ever, but at least enjoyed it thanks to his new pet and best friend.

Mala and Valka set up appointments for Hiccup every week or so. Stoick came to some when he was home, though that was rare. The man was always working after all. After about a few month's worth of visits, Mala had taken a different approach. At first Hiccup refused to learn anything involving sign language, but using Toothless as a sort of reward got him on track fairly quickly. He knew how to say a few more words such as 'restroom' and could say some of the words he knew but couldn't speak before without much trouble. For the most part though he used basic sign language. Phrases such as 'I need help', 'I'm feeling *insert emotion*', 'something hurts', and 'Let's go' were often used by the end of the fourth month.

The end of the fourth month was the first month he was to start kindergarten.


	8. Cute

A boy in a fur blanket with short auburn hair and thin limbs lay in his small bed with a stuffed dragon toy held close to his chest. He slept soundly, small coos escaping his mouth. He knew a few words now, and would sometimes say them in his sleep do to how often he was asked to practice them. The sound of birds outside did nothing to wake him, though a large beefy hand on his shoulder did the trick.

Hiccup's forest green eyes popped open as he recognized the hand on his shoulder. He sat up quickly, his stuffed animal falling to the side. A smile spread across the five year old's face and he opened welcoming arms. Stoick laughed at the scene in front of him, before scooping his small son into his arms.

"You've been growing." Stoick commented, noticing his boy had seemed to gain a few pounds and had longer legs. He frowned as his gaze focused on Hiccup's legs though. Valka had told him Hiccup had been having growth spurts when he arived at midnight previously from work. The growth spurts caused his shorter left leg to be much more noticeable. Why as the leg seemed a bit swollen and shorter at the ankle before, Hiccup's left leg was only long enough to end at the mid calve of his right one. The foot was smaller too. It seemed the bone development problems associated with the boy's condition had led to other conditions as well. Before the bones were oddly developed in some areas, now it seemed as if they were too weak to grow.

Hiccup laughed when his hair was ruffled, before laying his head against his dad's chest with a smile stuck on his lips. He'd missed his dad to much, and couldn't believe Stoick was finally home. A loud "Dad!" Escaped his lips, making Stoick laugh in joy at the thought of his son finally catching onto the other kid's growth around him.

"Your mother tells me you've got kindergarten today. That true?" Hiccup raised an eyebrow at the words his father spoke, before raising both hands and signing the words 'I don't understand' to let Stoick know he wasn't told any of this as far as he could remember.

Before Stoick could respond to his son, a loud, happy bark echoed through the small room with wooden walls and a bed with bars. There was a sudden flash of black to Stoick's left, before a dog stood at his feet. Toothless' rear was in the air, his tongue out as he leaned on his front elbows like he was going to pounce on something. He bit down on the toe of Stoick's tough boots, before barking once more and jumping onto the bed.

Hiccup laughed brightly when he saw his service dog/best friend jump onto his bed. He squirmed in his father's hold until he was sat down. The dog jumped over him, licked Hiccup's face, then lay down at his side. The boy got on his hands and knees, falling over Toothless' side with an 'oomph' sound. He giggled to himself, mumbling in his own little language. As if he could understand his boy's odd language, Toothless would whine or bark every now and again, looking at Hiccup upside down.

"What's all the commotion?" Valka asked with a laugh as she entered the room in a blue night dress. Stoick shrugged his shoulders, gesturing to the two boys playing on the bed. "I see what you mean by Toothless being rather playful." He pointed out. Valka shook her head and laughed again, playfully hitting at her husband's arm. "He's only a wee one. Give him a few months to calm down."

After a while of Hiccup and Toothless' wrestling Stoick lifted his son into his arms once more. The boy shouted in protest, but calmed down when the comforting sensation of his dad's fur vest took over. Tiny hands held tightly to Stoick's large beard as soft coos brought those in the room piece. Toothless watched the father son interaction with his head bowed and ears pointed as he listened to his boy.

* * *

Standing in the kindergarten office at Hiccup's school, Stoick still held onto his son. He'd be leaving for work again the next day, so made sure to hold Hiccup as much as he could. In the Defenders City kindergarten, a special education teacher had agreed to take place as Hiccup's sort of buddy with Toothless' leash in her hand. She was to push the boy's wheelchair and volunteered to work with him on his sign language.

"Thank you for doing this for us. I know Hiccup will love school as it progresses." Valka thanked the girl who stood in front of her with a warm smile. The woman nodded her head, mirroring the smile. "The pleasure's all mine. Please, call me Sophie." Both parent's shook the young teacher's hand, perhaps a little hesitant about a woman only around the age of twenty volunteering with their son, but grateful none the less.

Hiccup called out in confusion when he was pulled away from his father and sat in his chair. Tears sparked in his eyes at the thought of leaving his parents, but his curiosity soon made things better. A loud noise came from the kitchen near the office, and he imediatly sat on his knees, both hands holding one arm of the chair like he'd always done, with eyes shining in anticipation for adventure. Valka and Stoick both hugged their boy goodbye, promising to come get him at one when his volunteer had to leave.

After Valka and Stoick left, Sophia wheeled Hiccup into the classroom two halls down. Toothless followed behind, his leash in Sophia's hand helping him balance on just three legs. Hiccup wouldn't listen when told to sit back in the chair so he could get used to having his hands on both arms, but instead hung over the side and waved to other teacher's nearby.

"And...here we are!" Sophia said enthusiastically as she wheeled Hiccup into a room full of other's his age. Every kid was at a table either coloring or using play doe. Hiccup's friend Fishlegs' sat at an isolated table with Astrid and her friends Ruffnut and Tuffnut nearby. The chaos the three kids near him caused entertained his unharmed senses such as touch, smell, and sense of movement, making him giggle and reach out for the toys near his chair. Hiccup imediatly spotted his two friends, though wasn't so sure about the two rowdy twins.

"You want to sit near Astrid and Fishlegs?" Sophia asked curiously, seeing Hiccup's gaze landing on the small group. Hiccup didn't really look at her, nor show he was listening in any way. He _did_ sign the words 'want' and 'go', gesturing to the general direction of Astrid, Fishlegs, Ruffnut, and Tuffnut.

Astrid flinched when she felt a small hand on her shoulder, but smiled brightly when she turned around and saw the boy sitting in a wheelchair next to her. "Hiccup!" Hiccup grunted when two arms wrapped tightly around him. He brought his right hand up awkwardly, gently patting the spot between Astrid's neck and mid back. His left hand still held tightly to his chair.

"Wanna play with us?" Astrid asked when she pulled away. She pointed to the torn up coloring sheets on the table near Ruffnut and Tuffnut. Hiccup grabbed a small piece of torn paper, humming to himself a little. He looked at Astrid with an eyebrow raised, then looked at the twins with an unsure gaze. The girl next to him simply chuckled, grabbing his forearm and forcing him to scoot closer to the table in his chair.

"You're weird. I like weird. Why do you think I hang out with these two muttonheads?" Astrid jabbed her thumb in the direction in the twins, her eyes on Hiccup as she smirked. The boy being questioned looked more confused than ever, but quickly smiled and grabbed Astrid's hand that was pointing to her friends.

Sophia watched the interaction between Hiccup and his friend, though she became a bit uneasy when Hiccup quickly grabbed Astrid's hand and forced her to face him. The boy tried to sign different things he'd learned to her, though Astrid only looked confused. It wasn't until Hiccup's hands were both held in his friend's grasp as Astrid tried to let him know she was kind of weirded out that the volunteer intervened.

"Hiccup, Astrid doesn't _know_ sign language." Sophia said softly, kneeling down so she was eye level with the boy in his wheelchair. Hiccup only looked at her confused, before signing the commonly used phrase 'I don't understand'.

Sophia sighed and tried to smile even if a little sadly. She brushed Hiccup's bangs out of his face, before raising her hands to sign herself. She repeated her previous sentence, though gestured to Astrid and used the sign for 'to know something' when she said it. Hiccup now caught on a little bit, and looked down as if upset.

Astrid quickly saw Hiccup's mood drop when Sophia told him she couldn't understand him. She thought she'd done something wrong, or hadn't listened to the teacher's instructions correctly, like when she got an assignment wrong. Astrid quickly bit her lip, hitting the table in frustration. Luckily her friend was just as compassionate as he was forgiving.

Hiccup lay a tiny hand on Astrid's fist which lay on the table. His friend looked up at him, baby blue eyes brimming with frustrated tears. Hiccup brought his left hand up, brushing the girl's short braid over her shoulder. He also fixed the strap on her blue shirt, and used his thumb to brush some chalk from her face where she'd gotten messy. It was almost as if he was trying to say "I can't understand what you say, and I can't talk to you. I _can_ though _show_ you what I think of you. You're my friend. Someone I care about." in an innocent, cute, five year old fashion. Astrid was a little confused by the gesture, but used her own hands to hold Hiccup's in her own.

What happened next had Sophia smiling so brightly at the cute scene her face hurt. Astrid was one of those kids who always kissed her mom and dad goodbye. She was definitely a daddy's girl, and therefor often showed affection to the most often seen man in her life. This meant when she grabbed Hiccup's shirt collar and kissed him on the cheek just like she'd do when in her father's arms, anyone watching would know the gesture was completely and utterly innocent considering the common message a kiss would share was a bit more mature. When Astrid let go of Hiccup, the two simply went to playing with the torn paper and some of Fishleg's toy dragons. Just like at Hiccup's house on their playdates, they played their usual game. Hiccup would let Astrid take lead on rules, follow her into battle, and they'd use Fishlegs as a battle field in order to entertain his senses as well.

* * *

After school was over, Stoick and Valka picked up their son. Just as Hiccup was being wheeled to the car, a little girl's voice suddenly stopped both parents in their tracks. "Hiccup!" Astrid had pulled away from her own father, and ran up to Hiccup. The boy quickly sat back in his chair, knowing the blow that was coming. Astrid quickly jump up into his chair, hugging him tightly and sitting next to him with a smile. Valka and Stoick both recovered from their surprise, only to be shocked once more.

Sitting back in his chair, hands at his sides and completely still without a single complaint, Hiccup held onto both arms of his seat with his back pressed against the chair's back. Astrid sat next to him, Hiccup's arm a rest for her head. So Hiccup _did_ know how to sit correctly in his chair even though he acted like he didn't. He just never _wanted_ to until Astrid came along. Tricky boy.

"I'm _so_ sorry." Ingrid Hofferson quickly apologized when she caught up to her AWOL daughter. "Oh don't apologize." Valka waved it off with a chuckle. She explained her and Stoick's surprise about their son's current position to the woman, and Ingrid smiled brightly.

"I must say, your son and my daughter seem to have that kind of connection." Valka agreed imediatly, her, Ingrid, Stoick, and Astrid's father looking at the two kids sitting back in Hiccup's chair with Toothless low lay over their laps. It was a cute sight to behold that was for sure.

Stoick sat beside Hiccup in the back seat of the car on the way to have lunch, telling his son stories about his jobs despite the boy's seeming lack of interest. Toothless sat in the seat next to them, ears perked up and tongue hanging out. The family was back together, if only for a little while. Hiccup may face challenges, both at home and at school, but it was days like these that made it all worth that much more.

 **(A/N) Hey guys and gals! Sorry for late update and shorter chapter. Work has been CRAZY! I worked 52 hours my first work weak and I'm 16, only supposed to be working part time. Hey it's okay though! Even though it SUCKS having to stay up until MIDNIGHT like I am right now (it's currently 12:15 AM and I have to go to work at 4:00 PM which means wake up around 8:00 AM if I want to write more fanfiction and work on a few hours of my drivers ed) I'm making pretty decent money. I've saved up all my tips, my first paycheck, and money I've found in couches and stuff. This means I FINALLY have enough to bye the HTTYD comic books, Toothless and Hiccup money bag I've been DYING for, and still have enough money to save in a savings account for the future.**

 **Anyways...I have NO idea why I just ranted like that, I guess I thought it'd help you guys and gals understand the slow updates and my hold on HTTYD AUs. You're amazing! I really appreciate the reviews too.**


	9. Doctor's visit

Hiccup didn't like this at all. No one in the group did. Valka sat on the bed holding him close, Stoick sat in a stand nearby, a nurse stood in the corner of the room with a document, and Hiccup's doctor Dr. Ingerman sat across from the boy and his mother.

Doctors visits. Just as Hiccup was beginning to grow used to the visits, even a little neutral, the doctor began being even _more_ touchy. The five year old struggled in his mother's grasp, yelling out and becoming teary eyed as Dr. Ingerman messed with his left leg. He _hated_ people touching his leg. Lets not forget the painful sensations sparked do to gloved hands lifting and tugging.

"Easy Hiccup. Common hold still." Valka whispered to her son. Hiccup looked up with forest green eyes. A glassy glaze took over those emeralds, indicating unshed tears. His hands unhooked from the rim of his mother's shirts, and Valka read the signs 'stop' and 'I'm feeling hurt'.

Do to her natural mother's instinct, Valka wanted to tell the doctor to stop. She wanted to be angry, to shout at anyone who dared to hurt her baby. She wanted to pull Hiccup into her arms, wrapping her entire form around him, shielding him from the outside dangers of the world. Similar to when he'd been in her womb in the first place, when every movement was cautious as to not hurt her growing offspring.

Unfortunately, despite her motherly desires and aching heart, Valka knew the only way to _solve_ her son's problem was to actually _examine_ the problem first. Even if it was painful for the both of them. Using her hand that wasn't pinning Hiccup flat against her torso so he didn't move around to much, Valka signed the words 'we're helping'. When Hiccup frowned and squealed loudly in protest, a stray tear rolling down his cheek, Valka tried once more, this time signing ' _she's_ helping' and pointing to Dr. Ingerman.

Hiccup now recognized what his mother was getting at, but as a five year old his mind couldn't comprehend how something _painful_ could ever _benefit_ him. He cried out once more, burying his face in his mother's shirt. He bit at the hem of her shirt in an attempt at comfort, accidently breaking skin in the process. Valka hissed in slight pain, though didn't move any further. She knew five year olds got upset and had fits. She also knew no five year old deserved to go through the condition her son did.

After what seemed like eternity, Dr. Ingerman finally let go of Hiccup. She was covered in sweat from having to restrain the boy in order to actually examine the progression of his leg condition. Valka let go of him as well. Hiccup imediatly threw himself from her grasp, folding his arms and looking angry. Valka couldn't see the cuteness in a five year old's angry expression like she could before when her son would be upset about small things. She only felt heartbroken that he'd rejected her comfort and strayed on his own to the opposite side of the bed.

Toothless, who had been laying on the floor with his paws over his ears to block out the loudness of the room, perked up his head when Hiccup made a loud, frustrated sound. This was how it was with them. It was like Toothless could understand a language no one else could understand. The only one Hiccup could fluently speak. It was _their_ bond.

Hiccup looked down off the edge of the bed when Toothless barked loudly, and for some reason he broke down then and there. He crawled farther away from Valka, his hands nearly slipping and causing him to fall to the floor. Once at the edge, Hiccup simply lay on his side and cried out loudly, unshed tears falling. Valka, Stoick, the nurse, and Dr. Ingerman were all surprised by the sudden toddler fit, though Valka recovered quickly and launched to grab her son. She was too slow though, someone else beating her to it. Toothless jumped onto a stool, kicked off the wall, and landed perfectly on the end of the doctor's office bed. He didn't bark, didn't nuzzle his boy, didn't whine or growl to the other adults. Instead he simply fell limp on his side, mimicking his boy's previous move. In an instant Hiccup rolled over and pressed against the dog's belly. Toothless was slightly longer than the boy, and wrapped long, thin legs around his human.

Everyone in the room was stunned. Hiccup's crying stopped. In replacement he cooed and sniffed, mumbling to his best friend. Toothless would nuzzle his hair, and whine in response to some noises. There was no other explanation! The dog could sense any emotion or problem Hiccup was having. He knew when he was sick, tired, etc. He knew when Hiccup needed him. Toothless knew how to _communicate_ with Hiccup. Valka, Stoick, and many others had been trying _so hard_ to learn how to get the boy to understand and be understood. Yet...this once abandoned, scared, lost, lone dog had bonded with him above all else, and learned to do so within such a short amount of time. This was more than just intelligence...this was _connection._ The two seemed to be _meant_ to be together.

Valka looked at Stoick who took the task of laying a large, comforting hand on his son's side. Valka turned to Dr. Ingerman who looked through her papers. The doctor looked at the mother with understanding, sympathetic eyes. She handed Valka a piece of paper, and began speaking about her findings.

According to tests and appointments that had been done on Hiccup, there were a few things found regarding his leg. The bones in his leg were weaker than they were supposed to be, and the limb seemed to be growing far to slow compared to the other one. These weren't necessarily direct symptoms of Neurofibromatosis type one, but had occurred with the condition in Hiccup's specific case. After all he was human. His problems and struggles weren't all going to come from NF1. He would face health issues stemmed from other illness, and would have the regular difficulties any other person would such as the ability to experience pain and weakness.

Valka and Stoick listened intently to the information they were given about their five year old son. Hiccup himself simply fell asleep next to Toothless who comforted him with an assortment of sounds that echoed through the brightly colored four walls of the doctor's office. Dr. Ingerman offered numerous suggestions to help his diagnosis. Surgery on his leg, physical therapy, medication for the migraines, and so fourth. Both parents took them into thought, but decided not to put Hiccup through any drastic complications until he was old enough to understand them. At least not as long as his condition remained fairly bearable for the small boy.

After the doctor's visit ended, Stoick and Valka left the building and headed for their small brown colored car. Hiccup was curled up in the seat of his wheelchair, sound asleep. Toothless walked along side him, ears perked and eyes alert for every movement his boy made indicating he might be waking up or hurt.

The journey home was quiet as well. Hiccup woke up, though didn't make any noise at all. His gaze was still tired, and he watched intently out the window as objects, tree's, and cars flew past. Toothless sat in the seat next to him, watching the outside world with the same interest.

Five years old, some answers, and new discoveries. What would the future hold next for the Haddock family?

 **(A/N) I'm so sorry if it's too short! I REALLY wanted to get a chapter in before I have to go to work and this is what came out. You're amazing! Please review with comments and suggestions if it's in your best interest.**


	10. Help of a friend

Three little kids sat on a round rug in the center of the living room floor. A little six year old girl colored pictures of warriors in a coloring book, trying to explain her drawings to her deaf-blind friend even though he couldn't understand hardly any of it. Laying on his stomach with his stuffed dragon in hand was her five year old friend who she'd recently met. The three kids were having a playdate at the Haddock household with Valka Haddock watching over them.

Astrid, Fishlegs, and Hiccup all smiled and played with each other despite all having different versions of fun. Fishlegs liked toys with certain textures and liked to throw them into the wall. Once he'd studied and thrown them all away, Valka would go grab them and hand them back to the boy who studied them once more as if they were brand new. Astrid liked coloring, though in frustration would often break half a box of crayons by the end of the day. Hiccup, who was nearing his sixth birthday rather soon, enjoyed keeping to himself and hanging around his own little world.

After putting some dinner in the oven, Valka Haddock walked to the group of kids to check on her son. She kneeled next to Hiccup who was escaped from reality once again, eyes zoned out, and expression tired. He'd tried to ignore the outside world often recently. It seemed as the boy was getting older, he was realizing that he wasn't like other kids. He no longer liked going to school events since most kids didn't know sign language, the main language he spoke do to having speech development difficulties as a result of his diagnosis. It never really seemed to bother him that his legs didn't work right before, but ever since he entered kindergarten he became almost self conscious about his wheelchair, having outbursts if anyone else touched it. As a result, fellow kids who were just as confused as he was would grow frustrated towards him. This meant Hiccup was bullied in a way and therefor developed a disliking for other kids thanks to being isolated from the 'normal' crowd at such a young age. Now that it was the summer before he started first grade, he had a little more time to just relax. The problem was, for Hiccup 'relaxing' was escaping other people or ignoring them.

Today was a break. A break from the world, a break from other kids, and a day Hiccup could just relax with his two closest friends. Valka kneeled down next to her son, taking his hand in hers which reached up subconsciously when she was near incase he had to sign. The boy lay on his stomach, facing away from his mom. He seemed to be listening though.

 _What's wrong? Do you not want to play?_ Valka signed to her son. Hiccup turned to watch her sign, before sighing tiredly. He reached up and held onto his mother's fingers with a small hand. The five year old then used his other hand to sign in reply, stating that he was tired and no he didn't want to play.

Astrid watched as Hiccup communicated with his mother, and was confused as to how Valka managed to understand everything the boy was saying. She crawled next to her friend, laying a hand on his back. "What are you doing with your hands?" She asked confused. Hiccup tried to sign an answer, though Valka stopped him. "She can't understand sweaty." She said to her boy who grunted in annoyance before laying back down. Toothless woke up from a nap, sensing his boy's frustration, and curled around the five year old while trying to comfort him.

Valka turned to face Astrid, placing a hand on both of her shoulders. "Hiccup can't talk like you can Astrid. He communicates by using sign language. Sign language is like the English you and I speak, but instead of talking with his mouth, Hiccup has to use his hands." Astrid was a bit confused by the answer, but looked at Hiccup curiously.

Suddenly the oven went off, signaling the food was done and Valka needed to take it out. The mother checked on the kids one more time, before heading into the kitchen. Once her and her friends were alone, Astrid crawled to sit beside Hiccup, laying her hands on her hips.

"What does she mean 'you talk with your hands'?" Astrid questioned her friend. When she didn't get a reaction, the six year old girl lay down on her stomach to mimic Hiccup, her face inches from his. Hiccup flinched in surprise, before giving his friend a crooked smile. Toothless perked up his ears, nuzzling Astrid with curiosity.

"You have to be able to say _something_ Hiccup." Astrid questioned her friend once more, curiosity sparkling in her eyes. Hiccup looked at her with an eyebrow raised, before lifting his hand to grab hers. Their hands pressed together in the air, fingers intertwining. The both lay facing each other, trying to read the other's thoughts to an extent.

"I-I can." Hiccup said in a quiet, annoyed voice. He signed the words as he said them against Astrid's hands. The girl's eyes squinted in confusion, before she mimicked her friend's movements against her hand. They pulled apart, sighing contently in sync.

"Why don't you then?" Astrid asked, her voice quiet to meet her friend's tone. Hiccup shrugged his shoulders, pressing his cheek further against the carpet as if to comfort himself against the stress. "It's hard." He said after a long pause, signing the words as he said them.

"What do you mean it's hard to speak? _I_ can speak just fine, and the only reason Fishlegs here can't is because he can hardly hear. That's what mom and dad said anyways." Astrid explained her confusion so quickly that Hiccup lost track. He bit his lip, shrugging his shoulders.

"Y-You...You are being h-hard to understand um...Astrid." Hiccup tried to piece his sentences together, having a hard time in the process. He signed at the same time, and his words were so slurred they were hard to understand. He'd space out in his attempts, becoming frustrated. His attempts were stressing him out, and he held his head as the situation caused it to ache.

"You okay?" Astrid asked, quickly lifted her hand to move Hiccup's which was holding his head tightly. When the boy didn't move or respond, she gently brushed her fingers through his short auburn hair in an attempt to sooth him like her mom would do for her when she was hurt. She just didn't understand this. How could something as simple as talking be so hard for her weird friend? Perhaps it was like when her mom once tried to teach her to spell. No matter how hard Astrid tried, she just couldn't remember all the different letters and syllables, let alone put them in the right patterns.

"I-I d-don't um...t-talk this m-much at a...time." Hiccup whimpered and stuttered in response to Astrid's previous question. A tear trailed down his cheek as the headache became worse, and Astrid imediatly became worried for her friend. This wasn't right. Her friend only cried when he was hurting.

"Valka! Hiccup's hurt!" Astrid shouted to the woman standing in the kitchen. Valka imediatly responded to the call for help, running up to Hiccup to and scooping him into her arms. Hiccup whined loudly as the motion made his current headache worse, before burying his head in his mother's shoulder. Toothless quickly began barking, looking upset that Valka had taken his boy from him. The mother tried to tell the dog to stop, but Toothless didn't stop until Hiccup reached out for him. Valka lay her son down on the couch nearby, and the dog imediatly jumped up to comfort his boy, whimpering in worry and sadness.

"What happened?" Valka asked, picking up Fishlegs who had started wailing do to his senses being overwhelmed by the sudden commotion. She tried to sooth the confused boy, sympathizing with his inability to understand sudden movements and the muffled sounds he could hear with his hearing aid on, though the device didn't help much.

"He was trying to tell me why it's hard to talk, then told me I was hard to understand. After that, I think his head started hurting like it sometimes does at school." Astrid explained with guilt filled eyes, worrying she'd done something wrong.

Valka raised an eyebrow confused. What did the little girl mean? "What do you mean he was trying to talk to you? I can't ever get him to talk without some sort of argument. Not more than a couple words anyways." The mother questioned Astrid, looking at her whimpering son and sitting down to rub his back.

"He told me he _can_ speak, but it's hard to. He then said he doesn't talk much at a time, before his head started hurting." Astrid said quietly. She climbed onto the couch as well, laying her head on Toothless' side. Hiccup lifted his head which was buried against Toothless' fur to look at Astrid. The girl smiled warmly, touching Hiccup's head and using her fingers to guide it to her lap like her mom always did when she was sick. They both lay their in quiet, Valka watching from a distance with surprise and fascination.

 _That girl sure is something special. I'll have to ask her to help me with him at a later date. Perhaps...she could be something more than what the doctors can offer._ Valka thought to herself with a smile, remembering in her years helping younger kids in special needs groups how much of an impact friendship could have.

 **(A/N) I know it's kind of short, and it's been a while since I updated. Sorry for the wait, and please review if you enjoyed!**


	11. Birthday boy

Hiccup sat at the dinner table with his head resting on folded arms. Astrid sat next to him, her small hand laying over one of his. She knew what it meant when Hiccup was distant like this. When he didn't want to be around light. Valka, Stoick, and her mother had taught her about his headaches, saying his head was a bit more sensitive than hers. They told her if she was ever alone with Hiccup, Toothless would let her know if something was wrong since he'd been trained to do so over the past months. There had already been two occurrences when Toothless had woken Astrid who'd fallen asleep next to her two best friends during a later playdate when Valka was babysitting them. At first, both her mom and Hiccup's thought it'd be too stressful or confusing for the girl to learn how to understand a disabled boy. Little did they know Astrid liked trying to figure her recently turned six year old friend out. It was like an adventure for her, finding new ways to communicate with Hiccup.

"You okay?" Astrid asked Hiccup, laying her head on her arms to mimic him. Hiccup faced away from her, shrugging his shoulders. "You don't wanna talk?" Another shrug. Astrid sighed and sat up quickly in one major mood swing. She clapped her hands together, before falling back in her chair and throwing an arm around her friend. Hiccup tried to shrug her away at first, but Astrid laughed like it was a game and pulled him closer. The boy yelped in surprise, but smiled when his head hit her shoulder, and buried his face in the crook of his friend's arm.

"I don't get why you don't like to talk. You don't ever say more than one single sentence." Astrid said a bit too loudly, making the boy under her arm flinch. She sighed and looked around at the other adults in the room. It was Hiccup's birthday so some of his family came. There was Snotlout from school who was Hiccup's cousin on his mother's side, Ruffnut and Tuffnut who were having a stuffed animal fight, Fishlegs who was on his grandmother's lap with a mirror in his hand as he ran his fingers over the smooth surface which he seemed to enjoy, Astrid's own mother, Valka, Stoick, and Toothless. A pot of macaroni sat on the table, along with a few cupcakes which Hiccup wouldn't eat, never really liking super sweet tastes for some odd reason.

After dinner was over, Astrid and Hiccup sat on their usual mat to play with their toys. Fishlegs sat in his chair, and the twins wrestled with Snotlout under Spitelout's supervision. Valka talked to Astrid's mom, Stoick her dad. The Ingermans watched the weather which said there'd be storms for the next couple weeks.

Astrid made dinosaurs fight each other while using Fishlegs as an island like she usually did. Hiccup sat with his back against Toothless, his legs resting in front of him. He wore a pair of headphones Ingrid Hofferson had given him for his birthday which played soothing music. The mother had said he was too young for any real electronics, but the headphones and music might help with the headaches. Valka approved and gave them to her son. She didn't like him having another excuse to isolate from the rest of the world, but knew she couldn't _make_ him socialize.

Astrid eventually got bored of her playing, and looked at Hiccup once again. He seemed to have a glazed over look, and he tapped his fingers against his headphones as if he had something wrong with his senses. Worry creeping through her soul, the six year old girl decided to investigate.

"Hiccup?" Astrid asked as she grabbed one side of Hiccup's headphones and pulled them off. The young boy glared at her, reaching for the headphones. Fishlegs made a squealing sound as he became interested in a new toy Astrid left in his lap, and Hiccup imediatly reacted. The six year old doubled over, holding his head in his hands. These headaches were becoming too much!

 _"Head hurts."_ Hiccup signed quickly to his friend. He let out a mostly suppressed whimper. Toothless' ears perked up, and he listened for another sign of pain. When he sensed how tense and frustrated his boy was, he curled up beside Hiccup who buried his face in the dog's soft, black fur coat.

Astrid couldn't understand Hiccup's signing, but she knew something was wrong with the boy. Toothless wouldn't be acting so worried for no reason. He was trained to notice certain symptoms. "Valka? Mom?!" The little girl called out. She ran over to the house, tugging on both dressed the woman were wearing.

"What is it sweaty?" Valka asked, scooping the girl up into her arms. Stoick too became interested in what was going on, and the three parents followed Astrid's finger pointing to Hiccup on the floor beside Toothless. "Not on his birthday." Valka whispered as if begging the Gods above for her son to have relief on such a special day that came so rarely. "Stoick...can you go grab him? Spitelout's keeping an eye on Fishlegs."

Stoick showed no hesitation in moving to his boy. He kneeled down, lifting his son up. Hiccup clung to his dad's fur cloak, whimpering and signing different words jumbled up. "Easy my boy. Let's get you to your room where it's quiet. Alright?" Hiccup wasn't even paying attention to his father, and it was obvious he was trying to keep his lunch down as his headache made him nauseous. Everyone in the room around became confused and concerned. Why was the birthday boy, the kiddo everyone was here to celebrate, being isolated from his company? Valka explained the situation as much as she could, and told the parents that there was an extra playhouse outside if they wanted to have some alone time to just chat.

Stoick, nor his wife noticed the short, sneaky blond girl following them into Hiccup's room. Astrid walked next to Toothless, shushing him every time he would whimper. She slipped into the bedroom and quickly hid under the bed without being noticed. She listened and watched in the window's reflection as her best friend was tended to.

"Mom!" Hiccup suddenly squealed out. Astrid jumped in her skin, watching the little boy struggle as a wet cloth was applied to his head. In the past when Hiccup's head was hurting, Valka and Stoick had always said that the cold cloth helped their son. This didn't mean he didn't despise the cold sensations on his skin. A sensitive child, which was normal in most six year olds.

 _What's wrong with him? Why is he always upset or hurting? It's not fair! I can't even have a playdate anymore._ Astrid thought to herself, frustrated. She made a squeaking sound as Toothless surprised her, before glaring at the dog that almost got her caught from her spot under the bed. "Shh...I'm trying to figure this out." The young girl whispered, holding up her hands.

Astrid army crawled closer to the exit from her hiding place, and continued to watch Hiccup's reflection in the window. She saw him using his hands to talk to his parents like he always did. Astrid could never understand the odd language that involved no words, but could sometimes get Hiccup to talk.

"Do you want to stay in here alone with Toothless?" Valka questioned after reading her son's words. She signed as she spoke. Hiccup paused hesitantly, but nodded his head. He signed something else, and Astrid noticed he looked a bit annoyed. She would be too, having two grown ups sitting around her while she was resting her head. The conversation went on a bit longer, and Astrid watched as both Haddock parents left the room.

With slow, quiet movements, Astrid climbed onto the edge of the bed behind Hiccup. The boy didn't notice her, too busy laughing at his dog who jumped up on the bed with him. It wasn't until Astrid lay a hand on her friend's shoulder that he realized she was there, and.

"Shh...My parents don't like me being in here while your sick." Astrid quickly hushed her friend, her voice a bit stern, even threatening. Hiccup quickly shut up, and groaned when the intruder in his room shook the bed, causing his head to hurt further.

"Sorry...I-I'm not good at this stuff." Astrid whispered. She crawled over the bars that were placed on either side of the bed do to the boy who occupied it having a tendency to roll in his sleep. Hiccup sighed when a gentle hand was placed on the side of his head and began rubbing his temples.

"My mom always does this when my head hurts after long school days, and lets me sleep next to her at night." Astrid explained in a hushed tone. Hiccup didn't even seem to be listening, too caught up in his own relief while Toothless helped shield his eyes from the sun entering through the window. With a deep, sad sigh, Astrid lay down next to her friend. She wrapped her right arm around Hiccup from behind, letting him use her left hand as a pillow. The combined warmth and comfort from both his service dog, and best friend seemed to ease he boy's nerves, as he fell asleep.

As an hour went by, Astrid could no longer stay awake either. She pulled the thick blanket on the bed up to her and Hiccup's waists, before falling asleep. Soon after, Stoick and Valka entered the room, wondering where the small Hofferson had went off too. Both Hiccup and Astrid's parents were surprised at the sight of their children sleeping there soundly, Astrid's hand still subconsciously running through Hiccup's hair to calm him.

Rather Hiccup had a migraine today or not, today, this February 28th (His birthday was on the 29th, though this wasn't a leap year), would be a day to remember, because the true side saw in one of his best friends, and the experience of comfort she was able to provide for him.

 **(A/N) I know it's rushed, and the last sentence doesn't have the best grammar, but it's 12:30 in the morning and I NEEDED to get a chapter done for once. Hope you enjoy! Plasma Snow, peace out.**


	12. Sleep over

As the weather had predicted, just after Hiccup and Fishlegs got home from school, storms began hitting. Rain beat on the roof, hurting Hiccup's head. His friend and likely future adoptive brother wasn't bothered at all because he could hardly hear a thing.

Valka had decided to let her son have playdates with the Ingerman's grandson more often because she was planning on adopting the boy when he was older. Mr. and Mrs. Ingerman were growing too old to look after their disabled son on their own, and decided when he got older it would be best for him to be raised by a current mother, and be visited by them like they were originally meant to do as grandparent's. Valka had tried to explain some of this to her son, though the boy had a hard time understanding.

At the moment, Valka Haddock was in the next room showering for bed. Her husband was once again away on a long trip. He'd been leaving for longer periods of time as it began becoming harder to get from home to work every couple weeks. Now Hiccup hardly ever saw his father, but when he did, it was all worth it.

Hiccup sighed as he lay beside Toothless, humming a little tune to himself. Here recently, the boy's teachers at school in his first grade class had been contacting Valka about her son's improvements. The six year old Haddock had taken a couple steps backwards, and no longer spoke. He only signed. Things weren't all bad though, for he'd been getting a little better at motor skills and paying attention. One thing that seemed to help him stem away from the stress of the world seemed to be humming. Some teachers thought they'd heard him trying to sing a time or two, which made sense because his sort-of-friend Heather's mother wrote lullabies, and volunteered at the school. She'd sing them to the special education kids like Hiccup when they were stressed.

Fishlegs wasn't in his chair for once. Even though he developed skills quiet a bit slower than other kids, he was starting to pick up the pace pretty well with how much time he spent with his two best friends. The boy currently sat on the carpet, building towers with blocks. He couldn't see more than a few outlines, but was pretty good at using his other senses as he grew.

Hiccup watched as his friend played. He didn't have much interest in building with the blocks, and instead liked toys similar to Legos. The boy would sit against Toothless for hours, putting little trucks together and taking apart little 'Lego bots' his father would build for him anytime he was home. It was like their little father-son bonding activity for when Stoick was far away. Mala had suggested the separation could play a part in Hiccup refusing to speak, as separation anxiety was common in kids his age, similar to when First graders or Kindergarteners would throw a tantrum before going to school because their parents were leaving them.

Toothless listened to his human hum to himself, sniffing the abandoned Legos in a tub nearby. It was obvious the rain and hail outside was upsetting the boy, though Hiccup had grown used to trying to ignore it. As long as he had his dog, and knew his mother was close by, he was okay.

Both boy and dog watched Fishlegs continue to build. Hiccup began dosing off, having not slept well the night before. Thunder woke him up when he closed his eyes, making the boy jump. At first the six year old was beyond annoyed, then he realized the rude awakening was a good thing. Just as Hiccup was sitting up, he saw Fishlegs accidently kick a block, and the large tower began falling. The blind-deaf child couldn't sense it, and didn't know their was a night stand next to him that he'd surely trip into.

Taking quick action, Hiccup jumped up from his position next to Toothless, and he ran into Fishlegs. Both boys collided and fell over just as the tower fell. Now, the wooden block might not have done much damage on their own, but Hiccup's paranoia was proven good when the unsteady Night Stand fell over, heavy journals and writing tools spilling out of it.

Fishlegs was taken off guard and uncoordinated. He cried out, scared and confused. Hiccup didn't know what to do, and instinctively called out for his mom. Valka answered, but she was still getting dressed and would be another minute. Fishlegs latched onto his friend's arms, obviously scared of being left alone in his darkened world.

Valka got into the living room as quickly as she could, but when she looked at the two boys she was coming to help, she realized they'd figured it out together. Fishlegs clung to Hiccup's arms, and seemed to almost imediatly relax with the help of his friend. Hiccup awkwardly pat his friend's back, before looking up at his mom expectantly. Valka simply chuckled, before making a sort or hugging gesture with her arms. Her son took a moment, but quickly realized what she was getting at. With tense movements, he hugged Fishlegs back, though seemed almost afraid to hurt him.

Toothless watched his boy for a moment, before nodding his head in satisfaction. He curled up on the floor, just as his human was beginning to relax. Hiccup, lost in his own little world, smiled warmly down at Fishlegs who's face was buried in his shoulder. The boy below him accidently jabbed his knee into Hiccup's left leg, making the young Haddock hiss in pain. Somehow, Fishlegs sensed what he'd done and quickly pulled away. He mumbled in his own little language, probably trying to say the jumbled words he could actually hear.

"Alright boys, why don't we go to bed?" Valka asked after a few minutes, looking outside to see the sun had set. Hiccup and Fishlegs were already half asleep as it was. They didn't protest when Valka lifted Fishlegs into her arms to take to Hiccup's room where he'd be sleeping.

Hiccup waited for his mother to come get him, knowing she understood he couldn't walk on his own do to his weak leg. He rubbed the back of his neck with a freckled hand nervously when she didn't come back after a minute, and realized what was wrong. Another minute went by, and the young Haddock began getting worried.

Thunder rolled through the sky after lightning struck nearby, and Hiccup yelped. He was afraid. He wanted his mother. He knew that sometimes his mom took a few minutes to get Fishlegs into bed if the boy was tired, and knew the young Ingerman wasn't to blame. This was a situation where _he_ needed mom though. _Hiccup_ needed mom too.

Toothless sensed his human getting stressed, and was standing next to his side in a second. Hiccup looked at his friend, then looked at the wheelchair in the corner. The chair was still too big for him to use properly, and Hiccup didn't like it anyways. He tried to find another solution, but ruled out crawling to his room because it was hard to crawl over the slippery hard wood flooring down the hallway. His leg was already sore too.

Hiccup could hear Fishlegs crying in fear in his room, and knew he wouldn't be getting help soon. Frustrated, he hugged Toothless' neck tightly. A sniffle escaped his nose, and he did something he'd lacked ever since his dad left him again which he was sick and tired of. "Toothless...please h-help." The dog lifted his ears in alert, not used to his human talking voluntarily do to the frustration speaking caused.

With a soft bark, Toothless pushed his Hiccup onto his back. The dog was much bigger now than when the Haddock's had first gotten him, and proved a great service dog for reasons such as this one. Hiccup clung to the harness tightly, and was able to hop on his one good leg without putting any pressure on the weak one. Both boys slowly made it too the bedroom, and Hiccup climbed onto his bed to see his mother holding Fishlegs in her arms. He surprised Valka by tapping her shoulder, making his mom wonder how he got there.

"Hiccup...h-how did you-" _"Toothless helped me."_ Hiccup signed quickly, cutting his mother off. He clung to her arm tightly, letting out a relieved sigh once his mind caught up with him. His mother was their, along with his best friend. Everything was fine. He was safe as long as he had them.

Another lightning strike caused Thunder to sound, and Hiccup shivered as if expecting his head to hurt. It'd become a fear, those migraines. The pain they caused was becoming greater, and Dr. Ingerman had talked about daily medication at a point or two. Valka moved her arm so she could gently wrap it around her son, and Hiccup looked up at her fearfully.

"Mom...h-help." Hiccup said softly. When he saw the surprised look in her eyes, he didn't think it was because he spoke. His six year old mind innocently thought she just was understanding what he was saying. With a shaky finger, Hiccup pointed to the rain covered window nearby. Just as he did, more thunder sounded. Fishlegs started crying again, and just like before, the young Haddock beat his mother too it.

With quick reflexes, Hiccup grabbed onto Fishleg's arms and awkwardly pay his back in an attempt at comfort. When the boy wouldn't calm down, Hiccup pulled him close and lay down. With the help of a heavy blanket, and Toothless, the boy quickly calmed down and fell asleep. Hiccup looked at his mother with a smile, Valka mirroring the gesture.

"You going to be okay while I go to bed?" Valka asked, signing while she spoke. Hiccup looked hesitant, but signed a reply. _"I've got both my friends."_ He said simply, before burying his head in the covers to go to sleep as well, Fishlegs still held in his arms and Toothless at his feat. Valka smiled warmly, before lifting the bars on Hiccup's bed sides. At first it wasn't such a bad thing when Hiccup would role off the bed. When the two Haddock parents once found their son dangerously close to the plug-in heater though, they realized he not only rolled, but sleep walked sometimes too. In an overprotective attempt to keep Hiccup safe, the bars were installed, curtesy of Stoick.

"Goodnight you two." Valka whispered, before turning on a night light and heading to bed herself.

 **(A/N) Hey guys and gals! I know it's been a while since I updated, and that these are slow and short, but I hope you enjoy! Trust me, I'm really starting to get into this story again, exited to write new ideas I have. You're amazing!**


	13. First grade self doubt

**(A/N) Sorry for the wait! Before I get on with the story, I'd like to let you know if you want any information regarding NF1, PM** **pandamaster97720** **and they will help you to the best of their ability.**

It seemed as if year six of Hiccup's life was passing by far to quickly. Actually, Valka and Stoick had begun their son was growing up too fast in general. Hiccup wasn't developing quickly in a good way though. His mind began to wander more and more often. Rather than living in his own little world, the boy was more observant. This was good as far as learning went, but he'd begun realizing how different he was from everyone else to a new level. It left him more tired than usual as he tried to act more normal and make others like him. Most other first graders just admitted they couldn't understand him and ran away.

Hiccup had been hitting more growth spurts, though that didn't mean his leg was growing better like the rest of him. He'd been getting stronger, taller, and even begun speaking more again. As far as the stutter, migraines, and wheelchair went though, he was-in a word, stuck.

Today was a typical school day. Wednesday, actually. Hiccup sat at his desk, trying to focus on the numbers written on his page. Here in first grade, he was being taught addition, subtraction, and too many vocabulary words to count. All of the words had to be spelt, all the math questions solved in the right way. Once that was over, it came time for arts and crafts. Things were no longer like kindergarten. The class had to work on certain assignments in art, it wasn't like they could just color or refuse anymore. There was no more fun cutting all the time, building blocks outside of break time. Recess was a pain too, considering how hard it was for the young Haddock to make it to any parts of the playground before they were taken up.

"Uh h-hey c-can I-" Hiccup tried to stutter out a request to get on one of the swings before another kid could jump on, but the other kiddo wasn't listening and didn't hold his spot. Soon enough, Tuffnut and Ruffnut Thorsten were on the swing in no time, sitting at a rather odd angle while both trying to take the seat. Hiccup didn't want to get into the argument, knowing that do to his disability he couldn't win something like that. Not yet anyways. With a sigh, he turned his chair around and wheeled to a nearby bench.

Another thing, no one would push Hiccup anymore. Teachers would try, but ever since elementary started, they were all far too busy to focus on him. It made the young boy feel lonely, and sadly enough no matter how unfair it was, he couldn't voice his opinion past a few known phrases that'd taken years to perfect. He was in no position to protest his issues vocally and expect to be heard for more than a couple minutes. Like his mother always said, it wasn't fair...but not everyone knew sign language. No! That was one hell of an understatement. It seemed like almost _everyone_ couldn't understand the only language Hiccup could use without inducing pain, physically or emotionally, on himself.

As he sat in the shade beside a bench, Hiccup opened a first grade book he'd grabbed from the book cubbies and began reading. No one knew it yet, far too busy worrying about his other problems, but the boy was quiet a fast learner. He could _easily_ pick up topics in class, outside, and in society. The only hard part was putting them into play. If only his teachers knew how to count in sign language, then he could do every one of his math problems without having to stress himself to get through his motor skill difficulties just so _other people_ who didn't even _need_ to learn what he was learning could read his hand writing. Why did grades matter so much? Couldn't they take his word for it? Did he really seem so untrustworthy? No, it wasn't that. Hiccup couldn't blame the teachers. It was the fault of the rest of the world. Those people out their who _would_ lie about those skills, and who made teachers take caution, even when it came to those who wouldn't lie over something so stupid in their entire life.

As Hiccup was lost in though, his chin resting on his small freckled hand and auburn mop hanging in his eyes, he didn't realize someone had sat next to him. A gentle hand grasped his, and the free hand of whoever was taking up his space grabbed the collar of Toothless so they could scratch his chin at a better angle. Curious as to who the heck could make Toothless trust them so easily (the dog wasn't the most trusting as a result of his past if you remember when Hiccup got him) Hiccup turned to face the newcomer. A warm smile stretched across his lips when he saw baby blue eyes and long, blond, braided hair.

"Astrid?" Astrid chuckled and nodded her head. She took Hiccup's hands in hers, letting go of Toothless so the three legged service dog could continue his nap beside his human's wheelchair. "What's got you down? Don't you wanna come play with us?" Astrid asked enthusiastically, tugging at the boy's wrist. Hiccup sighed with a shrug, looking down at his book. He pulled out a journal from under his fur vest, and set it on the table.

Astrid watched carefully as Hiccup opened his journal. Just because he wasn't that good at writing, didn't mean he didn't have a lot to express. The pages were filled with words, letters, and so fourth that he'd written down. Too any other person, it would seem as if he'd just jumbled up a bunch of random sentences across different pages. In Hiccup's mind though, he knew where everything he needed was. The boy could hardly speak, though he was smart. He'd taken the time to write down all the stuff he wanted to say even though that was a pretty long time considering how hard it was for him to get stuff down on paper, and those writings helped him in the long run.

Astrid's hand still rested on Hiccup's as his hands traced over the pages in his journal. He pointed to one word, making the girl frown. His movements continued, until Astrid sighed in realization. "You don't want to play...because you don't think anyone else wants to play?" Hiccup shrugged, looking down sadly once more. "E-Even if-y-you want too I-I'm not good." He tried to piece together different things he knew, though every time he made progress, learning just seemed so much harder.

"You are good Hiccup! I've seen you play games, even with your wheelchair." Astrid began laughing out loud as different funny memories filled her head. "Remember soccer? You weren't even _trying_ to make the shot, and yet nailed Snotlout right in the face after he cheated!" Hiccup smiled warmly as the hyper Hofferson through her hands in the air despite the thoughts flooding his mind.

 _That wasn't me. I wasn't trying. The ball just hit my chair's wheel is all._ "So...you coming?" Astrid asked, pulling Hiccup away from his little world as she tended to do. "Wh-what?" He asked surprised, having not heard a word she said. "I was _saying_...you want to come slide with me?"

Hiccup's eyes widened, and he looked at Toothless who cocked his head sideways in confusion. Big help. "Wh-what about..." The boy gestured to his messed up leg, then to the sides of his small wheelchair. Astrid only smiled bigger, laying a hand on both of his shoulders. Hiccup flinched back when Astrid suddenly got in his face, big blue eyes serious, yet playful at the same time somehow. "I'll help you." She said quietly, before pulling away and walking confidently to the slides. Hiccup, after a moment of hesitance, followed her.

As recess went on, Astrid and Hiccup admittedly had fun finding solutions to the young boy's predicament. At first, Hiccup was reluctant to let his friend out of his chair and onto the slides ladder. After she'd proved her worth when she caught him mid fall, wrapping an arm around her friend and traveling up the ladder by his side every step of the way, Hiccup had no problem trusting her. Both first graders didn't care about the stares other kids, teachers, and adults on the streets outside the playground fence gave. They were innocent, and proud. Proud of themselves, and proud of their friendship.

Hiccup did have his hard moments. He did give into self doubt sometimes. As he was growing older, it became obvious to him how different he was. With people like his parents, Toothless, and Astrid though, somehow everything was worth while.


	14. Head-ache

**There's a warning for this chapter. This one is once again taking a look through Hiccup's eyes for the most part. There's some sensitive things in here, such as the pain of having a sick child in the hospital and stuff like that. I know that's not too much of a warning, but I know from experience that it can trigger past memories to some. Other than that, enjoy!**

Everything ached. From head to toe, Hiccup had sore muscles and could hardly move. The reason for this was sleep deprivation. Here recently, he'd been having migraines so bad that he couldn't go to sleep anymore, though numerous times had come close to feinting as a result of the stress on his body.

It'd been almost a year since he'd turned six years old, and despite the progress Hiccup made as far as learning and maneuvering went, his leg, head, and emotional pains weren't getting too much better. If anything, they sometimes appeared worse. The young Haddock would sleep much longer than before. He was hard to wake up for school in the mornings, which was why this current winter break was such a relief. In just two more months he'd be seven, though he slept like a toddler.

Why couldn't he be like the other kids? Even if he couldn't speak, couldn't he at least have the luxury of walking on his own, or not suffering nearly every night from a battle within his own body? Thoughts roamed through Hiccup's head as he lay on a hospital bed. The previous night his mother had brought him here, saying something about the migraines needing to be taken care of sooner than later.

Hiccup lay on his stomach with both hands on either side of his head. Toothless was thankfully aloud in the room, though had to stay on a mat on the floor. Hiccup had one cheek pressed against the thin mattress, his other facing the ceiling as he stared at the blank white wall next to him.

This is how Hiccup had learned to deal with the pain the greater it became. He'd occasionally sniffle or whimper, though other than that just shut down. He didn't pay any attention to anyone around him, scared that by listening to other's conversations his head would start hurting worse. If that was possible.

"Hey kiddo." A distant voice called from the doorway. Hiccup didn't move, didn't take time to listen. He felt a gloved hand lay itself gently on his bare back. His mother fixed his shorts so they didn't keep pressure on his leg. Deep down, even at the young age he was, Hiccup knew what they were doing. The doctor and his mother were trying to comfort him. In all honesty though, he just wanted to be left alone. It wasn't like he could simply express that though.

 _I want to be left alone._ Hiccup thought, though his mind was mostly foggy. He held tightly to the bed sheet when the doctor stuck him with a needle, though unlike other times didn't pay too much attention to it. The painful gestures just kept coming.

Hiccup tried to stay quiet, hidden in his own little world. That was hard though when a quick rush of medication was sent through an IV, making his arm ache even more. The doctor continued talking to his mother, and the conversation led to his head pounding harder than before. Finally the doctor grabbed Hiccup's shoulder, and tried to get the six year old to roll onto his back. The sudden motion combined with his irritated state through Hiccup off, and the boy let out a quick, loud, ear bursting _shriek_ without even thinking. Both the doctor and his mother backed off for a moment, leaving the younger Haddock to roll back on his side, trembling.

Hiccup didn't know what to do. The sudden scream _did_ aid in getting some of his frustration out, but now everything ached so much more. He honestly thought he'd fall unconscious, as his body stopped trembling and instead went still. He was so tired. He hurt. Now, Hiccup couldn't even move.

"Hiccup." Hiccup could hear his mother breath out his name, and felt the presence of hands reaching for him. He wanted to reply, but simply didn't have the energy. He was cold too, and really, _really_ wanted to go to sleep. He hadn't slept for over 24 hours, and that wasn't even close to common in growing six year old boys.

"M...M" Hiccup tried to mumble his mother's name when he heard her cry softly behind him. He couldn't roll over to see why she was so sad, though the thought of her crying brought tears to his own eyes. His momma. She shouldn't be upset because of him. They'd get through this, they always did.

"I know it's hard Mrs. Haddock, but your son's a fighter. I've seen him in worse situations when he's come here before." The doctor tried to comfort his mother. Hiccup didn't know exactly why. He'd only met the man a few times, and knew he wasn't even family. Before, back in his home town, Hiccup was just fine with him, his mom, and his dad. Then came the leg problems, the confused doctors, and the conversations that he never understood. After they all moved, and Hiccup joined school, it seemed everything was starting to take turns. A lot of which were for the worse.

"M...Mom?" Hiccup managed to stutter out after a few more moments. Valka's smooth, gentle, motherly hands were soon rubbing his arm. Hiccup once again knew this was an attempt at comfort, and didn't try to push her away despite his aching muscles. _Stop. Loud._ He signed, before pointing to his temple and rubbing it softly. At the least the pain medicine was working for him enough to be able to talk.

Mother seemed to know what he meant when he said it was loud, and told the doctor that they should communicate through writing, or outside the room. The doctor mumbled an apology, before saying he'd let the mother and son leave. Hiccup was oh so tired, and his mother's hand on his shoulder made him even more drowsy. Despite this, he couldn't sleep.

"Tired?" Hiccup heard his mom ask with a yawn. The boy nodded his head, half groaning-half yawning in the process. He held onto two of her fingers loosely, nuzzling her leg. He looked up and saw Valka smiled, before he was lifted into thin arms.

"Shh...it's alright." Valka whispered, holding her son tightly. Hiccup nodded, happy that at least one of his parents were here. He hurt badly, and ached everywhere. Despite the irritation though, something about the motherly embrace allowed him sleep.


	15. Tumor

Eight years old. It was quit the age. An age of freedom where one hardly ever got in trouble for wrong doing, like age seven, but somehow an eight year old also understood a little more and therefor felt more responsible. This was what things were like for eight year old Hiccup Haddock, for the most part anyways.

"So you're telling me my son-who just turned eight years old-might go through amputation or other risky procedures as he grows?" Stoick stood in Doctor Ingerman's office, a startled expression on his face. He grabbed his wife's hand, who was sitting on the office bed beside her son. Doctor Ingerman simply smiled sympathetically, and gestured to the eight year old sitting cross-legged on the bed. Hiccup giggled while playing with Toothless who lay across his lap ignoring his ears being tugged and back pat.

"That is only a possibility Mr. Haddock. You must understand my reasoning. Think about all the difficulties and pain the tumor other doctors and I recently discovered has been causing your son. He's full of energy, and is already a slow developer. We don't want to risk any other problems such as cancer or skeletal damage. Think about your son's future, and remember, none of this is confirmed until a later date." Doctor Ingerman tried to sooth the busy father's worry, though knew she couldn't stop a parent from resenting the idea of causing their child pain.

"I understand. It's just that he's only a child. He can't even understand most of what we're talking about. How can I consider saying yes to life changing surgeries on my son when he can't even tell me rather he's okay with it or not?" Stoick said in a tired voice. He looked at his son thoughtfully. Hiccup felt his father's gaze on him, and looked up with curious forest green eyes. His mouth was in an 'O' shape as confusion took over his features. Valka smiled and lay a hand on Hiccup's shoulder. The boy simply chuckled before laying down against Toothless' side. Within moments he was far away in his own daydreams.

"Nothing is confirmed Mr. Haddock. I assure you, I wouldn't consider anything that wasn't in your son's best interest. Not knowing how much he's done for my own." It was true. Hiccup had made a huge impact on Fishlegs Ingerman's life. The blind-deaf eight year old was never a social one until he met Hiccup. Now they were best friends, and after much talk, were planned to be future adoptive brothers.

Stoick and Valka grabbed the papers and documents Dr. Ingerman gave to them. They said their goodbyes and shook hands, before setting their boy in his wheel chair and leaving the brightly painted childhood doctor's building.

Part of the car ride home was mostly silent. Hiccup sat down quietly in his booster seat watching the tree's pass bye, his dog in his lap. Valka watched out the window as well, pondering the eventful day they'd been through. The Haddock's had received a prescription medicine for Hiccup's migraines, and were currently taking it to the pharmacy.

"You okay sitting in the car with your father while I run in?" Valka asked light-heartedly when they pulled up to the pharmacy. She looked over her shoulder at Hiccup who cocked his head to the side and simply shrugged his shoulders. When he looked at his father and saw Stoick unbuckling his seatbelt to turn around, a wide grin took over his face. Finally, some interaction with his father. How long had it been?

"So, doctor says you're growing. I feel as if I'm missing out on too much." Stoick reached in the back seat with one giant, beefy hand and tickled his son's stomach. Hiccup broke out into a laughing fit, his good leg kicking the back of the seat his mother previously sat in. When the attack finally stopped, his opened his arms wide and let out an exited squeal. "C-can we play uh...a-at the house?!" Hiccup questioned enthusiastically. Stoick now grinned as well, before laughing heartedly.

"Of course we can my boy! You've got your old man all to yourself for the next few days. Work is finally giving me a break." Stoick reached into the back seat and unbuckled his son before lifting the boy up and setting him in his lap. Hiccup threw his hands onto the steering wheel, turning it a few times and managing to honk the horn once before his father quickly restrained his wild arms.

"Easy now! Don't want to startle all the other visitors do we?" Stoick questioned while he looked down at the small boy in his arms. Hiccup's wild auburn hair stood out in all directions, his eyes gazing up at his dad. His right leg was crossed in front of him, the deformed left one laying limp beside the driver's seat. The tumor there was hardly visible, but one could easily see something dangerous was growing beneath.

"No." Hiccup sighed out, looking down bashfully. Stoick chuckled once more, before holding the eight year old bridal style as if he was still a baby, supporting his neck and all. "Now tell me, how has work been treating you? I hear third grade can be a pain in the rear." Hiccup looked thoughtful for a moment, laying contently in his father's embrace.

"I dunno. I-is f-fun...uh..." Hiccup trailed off, before looking down at his hands. He slowly began moving them, signing the words he was looking for. Here recently Valka and Mala had attempted getting him to speak more, and it had worked. Hiccup would talk, but it was always obvious his preferred method of communication was sign language. _School is fun sometimes. Some others are mean though._

Stoick raised an eyebrow before lifting Hiccup from under the arms so they could see eye to eye. "What do you mean 'others are mean'?" He questioned softly. Hiccup simply shrugged his shoulders, looking down. He didn't want to tell his father that other kids abandoned him or nicknamed him because they couldn't understand what he was going through. Even _he_ didn't fully understand.

After Valka got back in the car Stoick buckled his son back in before the trio (well minus Toothless) returned home. Once they pulled into the driveway, Stoick didn't even get Hiccup's wheelchair from the trunk. Instead, he lifted his son with ease and carried him inside, the eight year old boy laughing all the while as Toothless hopped on his three legs beside them. Valka parked the car in a better place before entering as well and making dinner.

The rest of the night was pretty much uneventful for the most part. Stoick and Valka watched as their son played around with his service dog, crawling on all fours as if that wasn't something most kids his age had grown out of. Hiccup didn't mind that he couldn't walk at this moment. He just enjoyed showing off his toys to his parents with Toothless by his side, signing about each one of them as if they were little machines with numerous parts. A creative kid indeed, and it would seem a little inventor.

Only time would tell what the future would hold for this creative little boy and his family.


	16. Protective side

School didn't seem as bad as it once was. Third grade was pretty hard, especially because it seemed like no one understood him, but as the days went on, Hiccup became used to the routine, knew his classes pretty well, and gained the ability to be himself around his friends without them leaving him like everyone else seemed to do. The only real problem here...

Was the headaches. Migraines that could last for up to half an hour but had become bearable enough to get through school thanks to the medication doctors would prescribe him. There were the tiny pills that helped with nausea caused by the migraines, liquid pain medicine to help with his leg and the odd new occurrences of back pains, and finally, the medications that helped him focus better in class which had been prescribed a little more recently from a new doctor he'd been referred too. Hiccup definitely didn't deny the fact that the new medications helped, but there was never a miracle pill, and pain was still present.

Four blue and yellow colored walls surrounded Hiccup and the other students who sat at long tables. Most sat in plastic and metal chairs, though Hiccup sat in his wheelchair to the side. Astrid always sat by him, even when her other friends like Ruffnut and Tuffnut would try to get her to sit with them. She always knew if Hiccup was starting to hurt, and also knew how to help him focus. Now that Hiccup could talk some, he'd managed to teach his fellow eight-year-old friend a few signs. Emergency signs like ' _pain', 'nurse', 'doctor', 'I need mom/dad', and 'I'm_ feeling...*emotion*' were all signs Astrid could read. If Hiccup was in a state of mind where he couldn't speak, all it took was one emergency sign and Astrid was on the run to find someone to help. A very smart and special friend indeed.

The teacher stood and spoke at the front of the class. A smile was spread on her face and she wore a colorful light green dress with a lace chest. She was very tall and had a thin figure. Her long brown hair was French braided behind her head, and her blue eyes stood out against her freckles. This was the teacher that taught most of the third-grade classes. Hiccup and the others would stay with her for four hours, then go to recess and lunch, Hiccup would go to a special education class for an hour while the others went to recreation classes, and finally, for the eighth period, a different teacher took all the students to the library until school ended.

The first four hours of the day were taught by Mrs. Bond. Hiccup lay his cheek on his folded arms, looking up at the enthusiastic teacher through tired eyes. Astrid had noticed he seemed off and asked a couple times. When Hiccup insisted he was okay for the time being, Astrid agreed to leave him alone with the exception of gently holding one of his hands that hardly poked out from under his elbow. She rubbed his fingers tenderly, listening intently to the teacher's instructions and occasionally yelling at the other kids who wouldn't quieten down when Mrs. Bond said to. This resulted in her being told not to 'play teacher', but no other punishment. If anything, a student so eager to learn at such a young age was well welcomed.

Hiccup had been kept up most of the night despite his medication helping with the migraines a great deal, but the headaches had subsided for most of the school day. That was until now at least. Toothless sat at his side with ears perked. It was obvious in the dog's expression that he knew something was wrong with his owner.

"Hiccup?" Astrid questioned cautiously when the boy's face scrunched up do to a sudden pain. Hiccup didn't answer her at first but instead linked his fingers with hers which had paused their task of stroking his fingers comfortingly. Just the feeling of having someone there to comfort him enough to finish the current class, but then the bell for lunchtime struck. Hiccup cringed visibly in his chair with his hands over his ears. Astrid immediately launched into position, grabbing his hands and covering his ears for him as well. When the ringing stopped, both kids looked into each other's eyes for some sort of confirmation that the other was okay.

Hiccup seemed to choke on his own breath when Astrid looked at him with concern. The young blond saw the glazed over look in his eyes and knew there were tears her overly prideful friend was attempting to hide. In one swift movement, Astrid was sitting in the front of Hiccup's wheelchair with one arm looped delicately around his waist, the other cradling his throbbing head. Hiccup sighed deeply before burying his face in Astrid's shoulder. Both kids remained like this until the teacher wandered up to them, wondering why they weren't putting their stuff up to go to the cafeteria yet.

"Guys? Common why don't we-" Mrs. Bond stopped in her tracks when she looked closer at the situation. She saw the tears on Hiccup's cheeks, and the pain in Astrid's eyes for her friend. One gentle hand lays itself on either child's shoulder. Both kids look up at her cautiously.

"Astrid...can you help your friend to the nurses office? Do I need to come?" Mrs. Bond strokes some of her own hair out of her face. The concern shows in her eyes. Astrid only shrugs her shoulders, before she lets go of Hiccup and grabs the handles of his chair. "I'll take him." She says softly. Her gaze drops to the floor. She looks as if her heart is breaking. How strong was the friendship of these two younglings?

Astrid pushed Hiccup halfway to the nurses office before the boy insisted on doing it on his own. The young Hofferson followed the wheelchair slowly, before holding the office door open for him. After one look at the two children the principle knew what was wrong. She thanked Astrid softly, before lifting Hiccup into her arms and turning to enter the nurses room in the office. A small room with four bright blue painted walls, two sets of cabinets, a hospital bed with paper sheets, and a desk containing papers, a thermometer, and a phone.

"No!" Astrid grabbed the bottom of the principals shirt quickly, surprising the elderly woman. "N-no. Let me come with him." The young girl realized where she was wrong, and looked down bashfully with her hands behind her back, swaying her hips from side to side. "Please. H-he's my friend." Astrid Hofferson was a well known good student who never fought the teachers. If anything, she got into fights with other students who wouldn't listen to the teachers. Every adult in the large building knew the eight year old would never try to be bad, she was just concerned about the people she was close to.

Without even sayin a word, the principal simply nodded her head in the direction of the nurses office. Astrid followed obediently with the biggest smile. Her eyes were locked on Hiccup, who gripped the principal's tightly with his small hands and lay his head on her chest.

After Hiccup was lay down on the office bed, the nurse checked his temperature and felt his head. The boy was slightly warm, and had bags under his eyes. Probably results of headaches keeping him up all night. As soon as the nurse moved her chair out of the way, Astrid jumped onto the bed and curled up beside Hiccup. She used her small fingers to brush his hair. The nurse was about to scold her for making such sudden movements when around a sick child, but that was before she saw how much the young Haddock relaxed when Astrid tried to calm him.

"You know what we should do?" Astrid whispered in Hiccup's ear when the nurse left to talk to the principal about whether or not they should let the ill boy's friend stay with him or call his parents. Hiccup rolled over to face her, a single tear running down his paling face as the throbbing started again when she stopped comforting him. When Astrid was sure he was listening, she wiped Hiccup's tear away and continued brushing his hair.

"Since you're having such a bad day _at_ school, we should have a playdate _after_ school. You, me, Snotlout, the twins, and Fishlegs. Think your mom would let that happen?" Hiccup shrugged his shoulders with a tiny smile, before using Astrid's chest to hide his eyes from the light which seemed to attack his brain. The young Hofferson only chuckled light heartedly, continuing her work of comforting her friend. Toothless sat obediently at the end of the bed, growling anytime Hiccup would tense in pain as if he could scare the migraine away.

"Alright. Hiccup your mother is okay with me giving you your emergency medications. I know it sucks, but it'll take at least half an hour to kick in. Are you okay with staying in here through lunch period?" The nurse asked when she walked back into the room. The simple idea of any kind of food made Hiccup nauseous, so he had no problem agreeing with a nod of his head. One of the main reasons he was so thin was because times like these.

Astrid looked up at the nurse with wide baby blue eyes, afraid she'd be asked to leave. The nurse suggested she eat, but when Astrid got up to go to lunch Hiccup held her hand tighter and his face scrunched up in pain when the light hit his eyelids again. Astrid imediatly lay back down, her arms open for her friend to enter, and she gave the wall a death glare not many had seen her use. "I'm sorry, but he needs me." She whispered. Unlike other times, Astrid's voice wasn't the innocent, sweet 'I just wanna help' voice. There was a soft growl to it, and even though it was obvious all she wanted to do was protect her friend, she didn't sound concerned. She sounded like she wanted to kill anyone who attempted hurting him. How such a young girl could show so much protection without a hint of concern or sympathy for either Hiccup or her victims in her tone of voice was unknown, and took the nurse back.

"Very well Astrid. It's your choice. I do ask you go back to class if Hiccup is still unwell after recess." Astrid said nothing, but simply held her best friend tighter. Toothless seemed to agree with her silent statements, and nuzzled his owner's left foot softly with a frustrated snort.

* * *

Astrid did eventually go back to class, but that was only because Hiccup was well enough to as well. Both kids sat by each other the entire day, and Astrid took it upon herself to read Hiccup's questions to him and write down his answers. After school when everyone went home their parents arranged for a playdate as requested by both the Hoffersons and the Haddocks. Valka and Ingrid watched the children play, taking turns separating play fights between Snotlout and Tuffnut.

Astrid lay on her belly on the floor to the right of Hiccup and left of Fishlegs who both lay in the same position. Ruffnut Thorsten had two Barbie dolls that her mother had gotten her in an attempt to get her daughter to play with less violence-initiating toys, but as always the eight year old trouble maker had managed to create a war story in her head, and had one doll making the other walk down an invisible plank before falling into a snake pit. After that, the 'dead' doll would come back as a different character, and would lead an inviable army into battle.

The rest of the day was peaceful enough. With the exception of time-outs and minor wounds as a result of the twins and their sort-of sibling rivalries one could say all the kids were safely in bed once they got home, the Haddock house aiding in getting the kid's energy out before bed for once. No one saw the day where Snotlout or Tuffnut went to bed voluntarily coming!


	17. Gobber

Rain fell lightly outside, once again typical Berk weather. Hail wasn't as present as it usually was, but the thudding drops of water on the windows were becoming annoying for one particular eight year old who had a sensitive head so to speak. Luckily, his dogs and parents had noticed his mood and were trying to distract the small boy's mind.

"Common, just try it one more time." Valka coaxed her son in a sweet voice. Toothless stood with his head high and tongue out at her side. Hiccup stood on his one good leg, using the couch for support. He was attempting to balance a stack of colored blocks on each other, but recently they fell every few minutes. The young mom and her husband had also taken this time to help Hiccup with his speech and school work. The boy had been getting a little better with his writing skills, though thanks to the learning difficulty that could be a side effect or symptom of Neurofibromatosis type one, he was soon distracted by something else.

"'M can't!" Hiccup shouted out defiantly with a whine, stretching with all his might to place the last of his blocks. He was focusing so much on the task at hand that he didn't even notice his slow loss of balance. Luckily when Hiccup let go of the couch, Toothless was at his side for support before the boy could fall. Both Valka and Stoick looked on in confusion and amazement. Here was their boy who had never learned to walk nor leave his wheelchair, figuring out a way to move with the one good leg he had, balancing perfectly on one foot with minimum help. With Toothless pushing his weight against his owner's side. Said owner was able to use both hands to complete his tower. Another task complete without the help of mom or dad. Something the boy had been craving a lot recently like any growing boy...Independence. Unfortunately, that wasn't always easy when you needed help with such simple things like getting up on the bathroom sink to wash one's hands.

Stoick was back in the kitchen with a smile on his face as he watched his son. The busy man was so caught up in the sight of his family, he hardly recognized his phone buzzing in his pocket. With one swift move, the grey flip phone was in his hand and up to his ear.

"Stoick Haddock, what business may I do for you?" Stoick spoke the usual, memorized line. On the other line a familiar, cheery, almost Scottish voice spoke loudly.

 _"Ah! Hello old friend. I had heard you and the wife were in Defender's city with that young one of yours! How old is Hiccup now? Eight? Nine? Anywho, there just wasn't enough supplies for the old forge, and you know how the war has been. My house went down a few weeks back and that was my sign to leave. I'm moving in today, just got the supplies needed to move, and have enough saved money for a fair sized apartment. Was wondering if you and Valka would like to help me unpack. I know you probably have more important things to do than help an old friend-hehe that goes way back-but I was wanting to see how Hiccup's doing."_

Stoick was a little surprised to hear from his old high school friend. They hadn't really met up since college, only spoke on the phone. It had been far too long since Gobber had seen his Godson-that honor was given to the old blacksmith long ago-and it would be nice to have a visit before the Haddock's separated once more due to the length Stoick had to travel for work. This could be an interesting visit, and admittedly the young father, and protector was exited on the inside despite his stoic expression at the thought of seeing Gobber again.

"You know Gobber, I think that'd be a good idea. Hiccup would probably like to have someone new around, and we owe you favors going all the way back to high school. It's settled, give me a bit to ask Val and we'll be there."

Gobber laughed in delight on the other end of the line, before both men said their goodbyes and hung up the phone. Stoick asked Valka if she'd be okay with going to their friend's new apartment, and the young mom was just as excited to see the man once again.

"Hey Hiccup?" Valka asked as she turned around and lifted her son into the air. He was eight years old, but developed slowly and was therefor plenty light enough for her to carry. Hiccup squeeled out in surprise, before realizing who had picked him up. An 'oomph' sound escaped his lips when his head his head hit his mother's chest.

"Mom?" Hiccup asked, just barely above a whisper. He signed the word at the same time he said it, smiling his dorky half smile. Valka smiled, her husband standing at her side. "Would you like to see old Gobber?" She asked. Hiccup raised an eyebrow, another surprising detail about him, before shrugging his shoulders. As soon as he was put back on the ground, he was crawling to a group of plastic dragons and coloring books.

"He's an energetic one. I think he'll like Gobber." Stoick said in a quiet voice. He lay a hand on his wife's shoulder, who turned to look at him and received a gentle kiss. "That he will."

* * *

The car ride to Gobber's new apartment was quiet like any other. Spitelout and Snotlout were coming as well, being Stoick's family and Gobber's old friends as well. Snotlout like Hiccup hadn't seen the blacksmith since he was too young to ever remember. This meant both children were exited to meet the fun sounding man who could build cool weapons and fight against war.

"And...we're here! Take a look at that Hiccup, your cousin's already here!" Hiccup laughed happily when his father parked the car and opened his door. Stoick helped his son into his wheelchair while Valka tried to get a hyper Toothless on his leash as was requested by apartment complex rules.

"Snotlout?!" Hiccup called for his cousin when he looked around and saw nothing but his car. Out of nowhere, a hefty, rather short eight year old was in the same chair as Hiccup. Upon closer examination, he knew it was Snotlout.

"I'm here." Snotlout said happily, sitting on his knees. Hiccup gave his cousin a small glare, not really liking to drag the weight of others in his chair. "Now Snotlout!" A familiar voice shouted from nearby. "Leave your cousin at peace! You don't want to hurt him." Spitelout scolded his son. Granted Hiccup wasn't too pleased with being talked about like he wasn't there, but the feeling soon went away when a new face came near. A man so tall and confident he made both kids back up in their seats.

"Ah Gobber! It's been a long time old friend!" Hiccup let go of his tension a little when he saw how much his father trusted this new, admittedly scary man. Someone's arms wrapped around him, and the boy soon recognized his mother. Unlike other times when he enjoyed being held, he wanted more independence when around his cousin.

" _Down!_ " Hiccup quickly signed out when Snotlout was looking his way with a confused expression. Valka sat her son back in his chair, but the boy struggled once again. "What is it you want Hiccup?" She asked with concern. "Down." Hiccup said simply, confidence in his voice. "You are down. I put you back in your chair."

Hiccup began growing frustrated, and he looked at Snotlout with a glare. He wasn't mad at the other eight year old, just what the other boy could _do_ angered him. "L-like uh...Snotlout." He struggled to say the words, and spoke quietly so others couldn't hear him. Hiccup had been getting a lot better with his speech delay, but when he was stressed he could go completely silent for hours sometimes.

"You want...on the ground?" Valka tried to understand where her son was coming from. Hiccup's face soon lit up, and he nodded enthusiastically. "But the ground is dirty. You can't crawl on it like you can at home Hiccup." He only grunted in response, before pointing to Toothless.

" _He can stand up and he only has_ three _legs. I have two arms_ and _two legs. Why can't I stand down there? Why do I have to sit down?"_ Valka wasn't sure, but she thought she saw tears glistening in her son's eyes for a moment. It scared the mother to think her disabled son thought of his chair more like a punishment than a support. She didn't want Hiccup to feel like he was doing something wrong.

"A-Alright. Let me help you." Valka lifted Hiccup out of his chair, and sat him on the ground. She held onto both of his small hands while he stood on his one leg with his back to her. A determined smile lit up the boy's face when he looked at Snotlout who nodded encouragingly. Gobber and Stoick also looked at them with a smile. Spitelout was in his car smoking for the moment while Gobber watched his son.

"I see you're standing on your own my boy! Look how much you've grown." Stoick kneeled down in front of Hiccup to tickle the giggling boy's sides, before looking up at his wife with a grateful smile. "You did good Val." The female Haddock almost blushed as if they were teenagers all over again.

"Hiccup! It's good to see you again." Gobber didn't seem fazed by the obvious deformation of his Godson's leg, nor the lack of speech. He even seemed oblivious to the sign language. Perhaps it was because of how carefree the older man was, or because he'd been through so many disabilities in his own time such as the lack of two limbs. His left hand and right foot.

"G-Gobber?" Hiccup asked curiously, having heard his dad address the man this way. Gobber smiled brightly, and reached out to hug the boy. Hiccup flinched back, so the blacksmith let him be. Snotlout also had his fun, and run into Gobber's leg with a huge hug. Everyone in the group, including Spitelout who had returned, laughed light-heartedly at the scene.

The rest of the day was mainly avoiding rain storms and cleaning an old apartment. Snotlout and Hiccup played with plastic cars on a mat, and occasionally had play fights with Toothless who seemed to love the new game. Why the dog was more hyper than normal was unknown. Perhaps it was the dog food changes he always had due to being a picky animal. Whatever the reason, he was still Toothless.

What adventures would come for Hiccup and his Godfather in the future were unknown, but at least the man had gotten to meet his Godson after so long of being away once again.


	18. Half siblings

School wasn't as great as it could've been. Even with his friends and Toothless at his side the lack of support from other students and fun work made the day more boring than ever. Fridays were rough, though it could've been worse. At least time went by decently quickly.

"Hey Hiccup!" Astrid shouted to her friend who was rolling his chair out to the car rider's line to wait for his mom. The boy stopped in his tracks, though didn't turn around to face her. Instead, he waited for Astrid to catch up to his side and likely jump into his chair to sit beside him. It's not that Hiccup didn't like his friend's company, he was just a bit annoyed that no one seemed to have much respect for personal space.

Sure enough Astrid Hofferson jumped into her friend's chair with a cheerful smile on her lips. Hiccup couldn't be upset with her seeing how happy she was. They were too close of friends for that. He allowed Astrid to get comfortable next to him, before gently laying his hand over hers just like she'd do for him when he was in pain. It just felt right somehow.

"Uh...yeah?" Hiccup replied to Astrid once she looked at him with an eyebrow raised. Something about the smirk on her face made him uncomfortable. "I was wondering why you were so upset in class today." Oh... _that's_ why she was smirking. Young Astrid always found it a great achievement when she'd figure out how to read her friend without him speaking. He was like her little puzzle which she held dearly till she had him pieced together. After that...who knows what her next move would be? Hang him on the wall of her heart after framing his giant picture? Forgetting him and going on to find someone else to figure out? Only time would tell, but the experience was great for the time being.

Hiccup didn't know what to say or sign in response to his fellow nine year old friend, so instead shrugged his shoulders and rolled the both of them to the line where their parents were waiting. Astrid's mother lightly scolded her daughter for making her friend roll her to the car, but couldn't help but smile at the cute sight of both children. Valka quickly got out of her car with her husband to help their son into his seat. They put his chair in the back as Toothless sat obediently by his owner's side.

The Haddocks left the school parking lot after all boarding the car. For once it wasn't raining outside. Instead, the sky was actually quiet sunny. A peaceful afternoon shown down on the city for once, so Stoick had the idea of staying outside for most of the day. "Want to go to the park today son? I'm sure some of your other friends will be there." Both parents chuckled when Hiccup perked up in response, his hands shooting into the air as his head nodded enthusiastically.

* * *

"Here we are!" Valka said excitedly as the small Haddock car pulled into the concrete parking lot. Kids were playing on swings and playground equipment across from them. Hiccup watched all the others play, his eyes widening after he realized the only things keeping him from the park outside were the car doors and a thin wired fence.

"Mom common!" Hiccup squealed out after his father lifted him into his large arms and began walking to the swings. "He's got a point Val! We don't have all day to spare!" Stoick decided to add onto his son's enthusiasm. Valka simply rolled her eyes at her son and man-child of a husband (only when he wanted to be) before grabbing Hiccup's wheelchair. Toothless took the opportunity knowing this chair wouldn't be occupied for a while, and jumped into the seat. Valka didn't have a problem pushing the handicapped animal to the swings with her, having done the same thing with her son numerous times.

Hiccup got himself positioned on the swing after his father sat him down, and insisted he could swing on his own. Valka and Stoick took a few steps back, before once again becoming surprised at how independent their boy was becoming. Hiccup couldn't walk, communicate, or stand very well on his own, but he always found a way around his challenges. So long as their was someone to help him on the high swing he didn't have much trouble doing the rest on his own.

Stoick and Valka pushed Toothless and the wheelchair to a nearby bench so they could watch their child from a distance. Hiccup laughed in delight as he swung his swing as far as he could. The breeze in his hair, tree limbs so close they were almost touching his feet, and wild imagination helped him feel free. Here in the air he didn't have to worry about some stupid messed up leg or migraines. He could just close his eyes and pretend he was flying, free of all life's burdens. Sometimes it was fun to pretend he was a dragon.

"Hey! Let go of me!" Hiccup came out of his peaceful trance when a nearby voice caused his eyes to open, shining with worry. A girl around his age with long black hair, forest green eyes, and silver colored clothing sat on the ground while an older boy held onto her hands. At first it would seem the other boy was hurting her, but upon closer observation it was obvious he was worried about who seemed to be his sister. They didn't look very much alike, but it was somehow obvious they were related.

"I'm just trying to help sis!" Yep, definitely siblings. Hiccup could hear the anger mixed with worry in the other boy's voice. It seemed as if he was trying to suppress his frustration but had a harder time than others doing so. The seemingly panicked girl squirmed in her brother's hold, and Hiccup wanted to help.

After stopping his swing, Hiccup tried to figure out some way to get closer to the other kids. They weren't that far away, only a few feet from the swings, but to a boy who couldn't walk the distance was a challenge. Deciding it didn't seem these two were much of a threat, Hiccup got off his swing while using a nearby pole to help him stand, before calling for the two siblings. They both looked at him oddly.

"Who are you?" The older boy with his sister asked Hiccup with a rather sharp tone. Hiccup flinched back a bit, gripping the pole tightly. "I-I'm Hiccup." He said, unable to sign due to his hands being pre-occupied with balancing him. The older boy sighed, before looking at his sister. "Would you mind if he came over?" The girl hesitantly nodded her head, and Hiccup only now realized she had tears in her eyes.

The older boy let go of his sister for a moment, brushing his short red hair out of his face. He took a few deep breaths, seeming still angry, before walking over to Hiccup. "Let me help you." Hiccup hesitantly agreed to let this unknown boy help him, before reaching out his thin arms. The new boy had much stronger arms than he did, and was at least two feet taller.

"My name's Dagur." Dagur told Hiccup after helping the smaller boy hop to his sister and setting him down. "Heather here is my younger sister. She gets anxious pretty easily after some bad things that happened to her in the past. I try to help her because our father usually doesn't stay in one place very long. He dropped us off here so he could go to our cousin's baseball game in the court over there." Dagur pointed to a baseball field full of older kids around teenage age playing baseball on the other side of a thin creak.

"I'm fine." Heather mumbled with her arms crossed, avoiding eye contact with her older brother. "I just panicked. I don't like dad leaving. He already left me before." She looked up at Hiccup, before raising an eyebrow. "Why you so worried anyways?"

Hiccup looked down bashfully, brushing his auburn hair out of his eyes. Sweat dripped down his forehead do to the heat of the day, though he was fine for the time being. What worried him was how long the other kids had been out here in the heat. "D-do y-you um...k-know how to...sign?" He stuttered out awkwardly, seeming to lose his breath after every other word.

Dagur raised an eyebrow questioningly at the younger boy's question. "Why? You nervous?" Hiccup looked up surprised. How did this boy know his speech delay got worse when he was stressed? He nodded slowly. Dagur smiled _warmly._

"Yeah, Heather used to be the same way when she was little. That's why she stayed with another family member a few years back. Our father refused to help her out, saying he was too busy." Heather cringed back with a scowl. Dagur quickly wrapped an arm around her almost protectively. "I learned sign language so I could talk to her when I visited. We saw each other a lot, but these other stupid adults who didn't seem to like our dad wanted him to have some time away from her. If you don't feel comfortable speaking-trust me I don't blame you, a lot of kids get nervous around me-I think I remember some signs." Hiccup smiled gratefully after listening to Dagur's words, before nodding.

"So um..." Hiccup cleared his throat nervously. Dagur nodded encouragingly, allowing him to be himself. _"Heather is your sister and your trying to help her out? Then why did you seem so upset earlier?"_ It took him a minute to translate Hiccup's words, but the older brother eventually read what he was saying.

"Heather's not the only thing that has some things going on up in the noggin." Dagur knocked on his head with his hand jokingly, making Heather chuckle. "My dad says I have something called 'Intermediate explosive disorder' and ADHD. I know, one heck of a mouthful. My teachers say I'm smart for being able to remember these things." Hiccup nodded in understanding, not really knowing what 'Intermediate explosive disorder' was but not asking further.

"Hey if I may ask champ, how old are you anyways?" Dagur asked suddenly, seeming to get distracted easily. Hiccup cocked his head to the side in confusion due to the sudden change in mood, but answered anyways. "I'm nine. Y-you?" At least he wasn't so nervous.

"I just turned twelve a few weeks back. Heather here is ten." Dagur answered quickly, before receiving a punch to the arm by a smaller source. "I can speak for myself brother." Heather finally seemed to be getting her confidence back, and boy did she have some. "Uh...y-yeah sis. Glad you're recovering." Dagur replied in a half annoyed-half almost frightened tone. Hiccup was honestly a bit scared of the older girl's spunk as well.

Heather turned to Hiccup, before noticing the slight anxiety in his eyes. "Eh don't worry. I won't bite." She said, reaching out her hand. Hiccup shook it quickly, before giving his good old half-smile that brought out the dorkiness in him according to popular opinion of the public.

Heather was about to say something else to Hiccup, before a gruff voice interrupted them. "Hey Hiccup. Who are these new friends up yours?" Stoick asked his son curiously, his wife following close behind. The two parents had been watching the interaction from a distance.

Hiccup was about to tell his father what was going on, before Valka was the one who cut him off. "Heather?" Her voice seemed surprised. The black haired ten-year-old looked up at the newcomer confused. "Yeah, that's me." She backed up into her brother cautiously who held her tightly.

"May I ask your name?" Dagur questioned with an almost accusing tone. Valka looked down, then to her husband. Stoick caught onto what was going on imediatly, before standing up with his son in his arms. "Valka...I'm sure this isn't the same girl-" "No Stoick. I'm almost positive." "Wait...you said 'Valka'?" Both adult Haddocks looked down at Dagur with a surprised expression. The pre-teen boy didn't seem any less confused.

"Dagur! Heather! Common, your cousin's on his last play! I know you didn't want to watch, but he really wants you to-" Dagur and Heather's father got cut off by surprise after he spotted Valka upon exiting the creak he was climbing through to get to his kids. "Val?" Stoick almost glared at hearing the other man use the nickname. " _I_ call her 'Val', Oswald." Valka looked between both men almost afraid. Hiccup looked up at his dad wondering. Dagur and Heather looked between Valka and their father with half hope-half anxiety.

"Uh men?" Valka started slowly, taking Hiccup from Stoick and setting him back down beside the other kids. "We need to talk."

* * *

"So...do we tell the kids?" Stoick whispered to his wife and Oswald. Oswald was a giant man, similar to Stoick, but rather than wearing business attire he wore almost all black and silver colored clothing. His hair and beard were black as well. "I believe it's only right they know. If we don't tell them now, they'll figure it out later. It's obvious they're already as close as siblings." Valka said in an almost sad voice. "They _are_ siblings Valka." Oswald cut in. " _Half_ siblings, Oswald. Though I don't expect that to make too much difference. As much as I hate to admit it...they deserve to know who Hiccup is...and _you_ Valka." "But Stoick!-" "You know I'm right on this one Val." The hole group went quiet. They'd been talking in a small triangle a distance away from the kids for almost half an hour now.

Valka, Stoick, and Oswald turned to look at the three kids after hearing a loud squeal. At first they were surprised, but then relaxed into warm smiles. Toothless lay on top of Heather's back who lay on her stomach with an annoyed 'I hate boys' expression on her face. Hiccup was squirming on his back in the sand below, Dagur nearly on top of him and tickling him belly.

"O-Okay! Please!" Hiccup screamed through fits of laughter at the other boy. Dagur got off of the younger boy, but continued laughing. Hiccup called for Toothless so he'd get off Heather, and the young girl nearly launched herself at the large dog who ran along with his tongue hanging out. Dagur grabbed his sister quickly and tried to assure her the dog meant no harm. It took a while, but Heather eventually calmed down.

The sun was beginning to set, and the three adults knew they had to make a decision soon. Valka and Stoick kneeled down behind Hiccup, Oswald behind his two kids. Why as Hiccup curled up in his mother's arms, Dagur and Heather were more independent against their father and simply sat in each other's embrace.

"Do you remember when you guys were younger and told us you wanted a younger brother?" Valka began telling her tale. All three kids looked up at the mother who seemed to be straining for the right words. "Yeah." Dagur said so quietly almost no one heard it.

"Well...you actually might have always had one." Oswald continued off of Valka, sounding equally as awkward. "Do you remember your mother Dagur?" The young boy looked down with a shrug, before nodding his head. "I remember her name, father." "Oh Dagur..." Valka sighed out by accident, causing the pre-teen to look up at her.

"Father...do you remember telling me about my mother? When she couldn't stay after I was born because there were some bad things going on that I couldn't understand?" Heather now decided she needed to be the one in control of the conversation, and she looked at her dad with the same look he was giving them just minutes age. The older man was taken back, and nodded his head at his overly intelligent daughter.

"Do you think _this_ Valka could be _that_ Valka?" Heather continued questioning the group as if she was a lawyer in training, snapping her fingers as if she'd made some great discovery. Oswald's eyes widened more in surprise, and he looked at the other two adults who were equally as confused by the change in mood. It seemed the ten-year-old was in control of the conversation now.

"Uh...yes Heather. I do believe that is true." Oswald managed to keep some of his authority in his tone. Heather didn't seem fazed. "If that's true father, then wouldn't that make Hiccup mine and Dagur's brother? As you know, mom left when I was too young to remember, which would mean I was a baby right? If so...doesn't it make sense that Hiccup is more young than me? Because babies are younger than a year old. So if I was a baby...and Dagur was two..." Heather paused, counting on her fingers as if that would help her argument. It was honestly a cute display considering her age. "Then that would mean Hiccup is my year-younger brother, and Valka is my mom, Dagur's mom, and Hiccup's mom. Though...your not Hiccup's dad...so is Stoick his dad?" Only now did Heather start sounding her own age.

Every adult in the group looked surprised. Hiccup and Dagur were just shocked. What Valka, Stoick, and Oswald all thought would be an awkward, hard conversation was just laid out perfectly by a ten-year-old/very likely future judge of authority.

"Actually Heather...you are correct. Everything in fact. Hiccup is yours and Dagur's half brother. _This_ Valka _is that_ Valka." Oswald said almost nervously, awaiting the kid's reaction. Heather smiled with her arms crossed, sitting beside Hiccup who crawled out of his mother's arms and onto the sand. Dagur sighed with a shrug, sitting beside the both of them hesitantly. "So...what do you say we go swing _brother_?" He asked Hiccup confidently. The younger boy looked up in confusion, not really getting all of this. He hardly knew how to understand adults who weren't signing if there was more than one as it was. He simply shrugged his shoulder and raised his hands in the air with an agreeing sound escaping his lips. All three kids stood up, before the two older ones helped the baby of the group hop to the swings with his arms around their shoulders.

Oswald, Stoick, and Valka all sat in the sand in shock. "Did that just..." Oswald started. "I think so Oswald." Stoick continued in wonder. Valka chuckled, laying a hand on both boy's shoulders. "We can't help what happened. Stoick is the one I love now, and always will be. I believe that due to the circumstances, it's only fair if the three of us try to form some kind of bond for the kids. They don't deserve to be separated because our mistakes. Agreed?" She asked hesitantly. Both men looked at her thoughtfully, before looking at each other.

"I can't necessarily say I _want_ to have a friendship with the man who my ex-fiancé is now married to...but I can agree with those terms." Oswald agreed with Valka, before reaching out his hand. Stoick hesitantly shook it, giving a small smile. "I agree too Valka. I wouldn't put Hiccup through anymore than he has to be." Stoick replied. Valka rolled her eyes, already seeing hints of both boy's competitive nature.

This would be awkward in the beginning...but it would work. It had to. For the kids.


	19. Night over

Hiccup lay on a mat in the Haddock household living room with his friend Fishlegs beside him. Hiccup was laying on his stomach with the stuffed dragon his mother had made him and a book from school in front of him. Fishlegs on the other hand was having fun with a ball that tried to entertain the mild senses he did have including hearing and sight. There were many different textures to make up for the lack of his other senses.

Rain fell outside in a light downpour. Valka Haddock was taking care of the Ingerman's son who was also her own future adoptive son. Hiccup was already developing an obvious brother like bond to the boy, so that wasn't really something that needed to be worked on. The Haddocks just believed it was a good idea to help the young blind-deaf Fishlegs become used to the surroundings of his future home before he was actually adopted. Hiccup wanted to have a playdate with his friend as well so really it was a win-win.

"You guys doing okay Hiccup?" Valka asked as she walked into the living room to see Fishlegs had taken a spot laying beside his nine year old friend with his toys. Hiccup looked up at his mother with a lopsided smile in response to her question. "We're fine." He stated simply, voice much more clear than it was when he was younger. It seemed now days the only time the boy truly had a hard time speaking was when he was stressed. Other times he just skipped around his words occasionally.

"Alright. Are you guys going to want something to eat soon?" Hiccup seemed to think about it, then did something that surprised his mother. Small, freckled hands went to grab Fishlegs' and he signed against them without the need for sight! Valka bit her lip, confusion written on her face. "Hiccup...Fishlegs has never learned sign language-" She was cut off when her eyes caught Fishleg's hands signing back none other than the words _I'm hungry_ to his friend. In one sentence? She was astonished.

Hiccup looked up at his mother with a smile, oblivious to her surprise. "We're both hungry." He said with a chuckle when Valka's jaw dropped. "B-but he doesn't know..." "I taught him!" Hiccup cut his mother off with a proud voice she'd hardly ever heard him use. Once again her eyes widened in wonder.

"How long has he known?!" Valka accidently blurted out. Hiccup chuckled again, before sitting up and looking down at his friend who was oblivious to the topic at hand. "He's not good at it. I-I've been t-teaching him for um...a-a few months now." Before Valka could respond to her son, the boy lay back down and signed something to Fishlegs before both boys laughed and continued playing with their toys.

"Well okay then..." Valka was still a little confused, but mostly surprised. "I guess i'll go make dinner." With that she headed to the Haddock kitchen which needed a good cleaning before it could be used.

* * *

Hours past in the Haddock household as the rain outside turned to a heavy storm. Hiccup sat on the couch with a heavy blanket and Toothless, his small head in his hands. Once again his migraines were getting the best of him, and it seemed with how much hail and thunder was outside no amount of pain medication that wouldn't hurt him could help him.

"Hey Hiccup?" Valka said quietly as she sat down beside her son and wrapped an arm around him. Hiccup whimpered and looked up at his mother with half-lidded tired eyes. Fishlegs was asleep with a blanket on the carpet after Hiccup and himself had gotten tired play-wrestling previously that evening. The sky was already dark, though a purple tint covered the sky with the dust and lightning.

"What is it?" Hiccup whispered. He sought comfort in his mother and buried his face in her shoulder with his blanket up to his chest. His head throbbed, and the occasional almost-sob escaped his throat, though he managed to ignore most of the pain and hide most physical signs of it.

"I just finished talking to Mrs. Ingerman. Her husband and herself are going to stay in a hotel thanks to the storm, so we're going to watch Fishlegs tonight. Do you mind sharing your room?" Hiccup shook his head with what fraction of a grin he could manage. _I don't mind._ He signed, far to tired to work on his speech.

Valka looked at Fishlegs sleeping soundly, then at her son's open bedroom door. Inside the room was a thin wooden bed with blue blankets and rails on the sides to keep him from rolling off. Near the window was a desk close to the window and in a corner a bin full of boy's toys. Toothless' dog bed and a stack of recently folded cloths sat next to the closet which had dragon stickers all over it. A lava lamp substituted for a night light on the Nightstand who's top drawer contained medication.

With slow movements as to not disturb her son's headache worse, Valka lifted Hiccup into her arms and carried him to his bed with Toothless following close behind. The dog jumped up onto his owner's bed, ready to let Hiccup curl up at his side for emotional support. A sort of purring sound escaped his throat when his boy was lay next to him, odd for a dog though seemingly comforting to Hiccup. After Valka left the dimly lit bedroom, she returned quickly with a half-sleeping nine year old in her arms. Fishlegs was lay at the head of the bed to sleep, though Hiccup seemed to have other plans.

Just as Fishlegs was lay on one of the big pillows at the head of the bed and Valka raised the rails that prevented her son from rolling off the side, Hiccup left Toothless and crawled to lie next his future adoptive brother as the Haddocks had discussed would one day happen. Fishlegs wrapped his arms around the other boy in his sleep, and Toothless was quickly curled around them both. Valka couldn't help but smile at the cute scene before her, and left that room that night knowing the two boys would be the perfect brothers in the future.


	20. Sore

Hiccup Haddock sat on his bed with a hand-held video game in his hands. The medications he took for his migraines had been working a bit better recently, and since he couldn't walk or run the boy liked to sometimes read or stay online. His mother had bought him the DS-like game which worked to teach kids her son's age how to pronounce words and spell. The idea seemed good considering it was Snoggletog break.

Astrid Hofferson sat beside Hiccup on his bed, watching him play his game in interest. The girl had gotten a new blue and red outfit as an early Snoggletog gift, and her parents along with the Haddocks had begun to recognize some hints here and there once she showed the clothing to her friend that little Hiccup Haddock might have a crush on his friend since he was three.

Valka was doing some work on her computer for the different organizations she supported for special needs kids, so the two nine year olds had time to themselves with Toothless on watch. "So...I take it you like your new game?" Astrid asked her friend who was so focused on his game he seemed to forget she was there. Hiccup's head shot up and he blushed slightly.

"U-uh yeah...still not as fun as uh...hanging out with y-you and the other o-outside." Hiccup stuttered nervously, making Astrid chuckle. The girl threw an arm around her friend which confused him. Hiccup didn't get the hint that there was a trap coming up until one tiny hand that wasn't pinning him down began brushing against his side with crazy fingers.

"S-stop!" Hiccup cried out before he fell onto his back in laughter as his friend began tickling him. Astrid had recently figured out just how ticklish the boy was and dared not let any chance slide to 'torture' him ever since. Hiccup signed the word 'stop' over and over again in the air as his breath was knocked out of him, but the strong Astrid Hofferson showed no mercy. He tried silently calling out for Toothless, but the dog simply barked at Astrid, jumped on the bed playfully, and then hopped back to the floor in distraction once spotting a chew toy nearby.

"T-traitor!" Hiccup shouted to his dog. Tears were in his eyes at this point, and only now did Astrid let up a little. She still tickled him enough to make him laugh, but didn't use both hands. Instead, she pinned Hiccup's hands above his head and used her free hand to brush against that sensitive area just below his shoulders.

The two kids were having so much fun that they didn't know how dangerously close they were to the side of the bed. Valka had put the bars on it up in case her son was to fall asleep again do to the fact it was getting late, and Hiccup's feet were flying dangerously close to the metal barrier. All it took was Astrid making one wrong move that caused him to shift sideways, and a yell of pain filled the air along with the sound of a limb hitting metal.

"Hiccup!" Astrid called out to her friend as soon as she recovered from the shock of hearing him call out. Hiccup was so shocked by the impact that he wasn't able to prepare himself, and a few tears escaped his eyes. He was still on his back, and reached his arms out for support out of reflex after having done so numerous times because he couldn't get around easily on his own.

Astrid imediatly wrapped her arms around the pain stricken boy, and Hiccup berried his face in the crook of her neck. The girl tried to lay a gentle hand on his leg which had hit the bed, but Hiccup's deformed, sore left leg flinched away. It was already slightly swollen, and obviously hurt, but it was more likely the shock of the pain that caused the boy to cry over the actual level of hurt.

Valka ran into the bedroom after hearing Hiccup cry, and she saw Toothless whining at the foot of the bed worried and confused. The poor dog had no idea what happened, and therefor didn't know what to do. The mother looked at the two kids in the bed, and imediatly noticed how Astrid looked at Hiccup's leg with an almost guilty expression.

"May I?" Valka asked while lowering the bars of the bed and setting down. Astrid nodded and tried to let go of Hiccup so his mother could look at him, but the boy surprisingly clung on tightly. "I-I want to stay here." He whispered after moving his mouth away from his friend's neck. Valka looked surprised, more so than before. It was very rare that her son spoke over signing when he was _this_ stressed.

"Why Hiccup?" Valka asked in an attempt to distract her son so she could look at his swollen leg. Hiccup flinched back, but Astrid quickly reacted and used both of her leg to cross over his. The boy struggled for a second, but then Astrid flipped him so his back was facing her and she could get a better hold on his legs. Valka was no less than surprised. She'd seen many parents react like this when a child needed to be restrained because of a needle or something like that, but never a nine year old helping another nine year old calm down in such a way. Tears pricked at Hiccup's eyes in confusion, but Toothless quickly comforted him by laying in his lap.

Valka moved forward and locked eyes with her son. She brushed his short auburn hair out of his face, and lay a gentle hand on his cheek. Hiccup sniffled and looked at her expectantly. "I know it's sore, but I just need to look at it. Please let mom take care of you?" Hiccup raised an eyebrow as if in thought for a moment, before leaning back into Astrid and closing his eyes. Valka took that as her cue and gently put pressure on different parts of her son's leg. Astrid brushed her hands up and town the arms of the boy on her lap in a comforting motion, whispering soothing words in his ear. Toothless made that odd purring sound similar to a cat's he was known for, and this seemed to calm his owner greatly.

Valka watched closely for a reaction to her experimental touches, and realized her son's foot seemed to hurt more than anything. It was most likely he'd hit the slightly deformed ankle so hard on the bed that he'd caused something inside to bruise, though she'd keep an eye on it for sure. For the time being it would probably be best if he used ice and took stress off of it.

"Okay. Can you let him go sweaty?" Valka asked Astrid who obliged hesitantly. Hiccup launched himself forward and grabbed onto his mother for support. The one who he always knew he could turn to if he was hurting. Toothless moved out of the way and watched with Astrid and Valka coddled her son's small frame in her arms.

"It's okay Hiccup. We're just going to keep an eye on it for now. Okay?" Hiccup nodded, completely fine with the thought of no immediate doctors visits.

* * *

The rest of the night went quiet simply. Astrid had fallen asleep with her friend once again, so the Hoffersons agreed to let her stay with the Haddocks for the night. Valka moved Astrid to her own bed in the middle of the night knowing that she as a parent should start teaching her son not to sleep in the same bed as a girl this young now that he was old enough to develop deep crushes.

 **(A/N) I know this is SO short, but I had to get something down. It's been really hard to write because of mental health reasons here recently, and I'm just trying to stay out of the psych hospital. I'm not going to go too much into detail, but I have some mental illness' that make me feel, hear, and think things that aren't coming from anyone else and sometimes that makes it hard to focus. I also have PTSD which causes panic attacks and sometimes makes it hard to get out of bed. I'm not telling you readers this to gain pity, but so you guys and gals know I'm not abandoning my passion and really do want to update. Hope you understand! Plasma-peace out.**


	21. Back pain

**(A/N) Hey guys and gals! This one's kind of short like the other one, but I've kind of figured I like to update faster with slightly shorter chapters than to gain writers block time and time again. Let's read!**

Hiccup sat in his wheelchair beside a bench at the Defenders park near his house. Gobber sat at his side on the wooden seat with his lunch in his hands. The man had promised Valka and Stoick that he'd keep an eye on his Godson while they were away at work.

Hiccup had a broad smile on his face. He always liked being outside at this park where he'd met his two half siblings a little while back. There were a lot of things he could do without his wheelchair as long as he had Toothless or a friend to help.

"Hey Gobber." Hiccup asked in a quiet voice, addressing the man sitting next to him. Gobber smiled and turned to the boy he was taking care of until late today. "What's up lad?" He asked cheerfully. Hiccup made a grunting sound in his throat and fiddled with his hands. It seemed as if he was trying to figure out the right words to say.

"I uh...I really want to go on the swings a-again." Hiccup started carefully. Gobber nodded, wondering where this was going. Toothless didn't seem as confused. The dog actually had an expression that made it seem as if he'd already had a conversation with his boy about what was bothering him.

"I mean...there have been a-a few things I've wanted t-to d-do..." Hiccup sighed and his smile disappeared. "I can't though. Most nine year olds can. I can't." Gobber now became worried and lifted Hiccup out of his chair. The boy yelped in surprise, before he was set next to his friend. Hiccup snuggled his head against Gobber's side contently.

"Why do you think you can't Hiccup?" Gobber asked even though he already knew part of the answer. Hiccup first gestured to his left leg with an almost angry look, before he turned to Gobber and pressed his lips into a thin line. "I've...I've been hurting." He started simply. "In my leg. And my back." Gobber was now confused.

"What do you mean your back?" Gobber asked. "My back...mostly here." Hiccup leaned forward and gently touched the area above his hips near the center of his lower back. He also rotated his shoulder blades as if they were uncomfortable. "It's been making it...h-hard..." Toothless jumped up to sit in his owner's lap, causing a yelp of discomfort from the boy. He made his signature purring sound as a sorry.

"Have you told your parents about this Hiccup?" Gobber asked seriously. "Why?" The nine year old didn't quit understand. The older man sighed deeply. He couldn't make a child his age understand the consequences of not telling a doctor or guardian about the symptoms of an illness.

"Well uh...if you're hurting you usually tell your mom right?" Hiccup shrugged his shoulders. "It's nothing." He mumbled. For some reason Gobber didn't like this sudden pride or ego the boy was developing. Why didn't he want others to know about his problems?

"You know what Hiccup? Why don't we go to the swings?" Hiccup looked up with a lopsided smile. "Will you help me?" He asked in a childish voice. The innocence there almost saddened Gobber's heart. He hated to see his Godson go through this at such a young age. "Of course I will."

* * *

After Hiccup and Gobber had their fun at the park, the duo grabbed fish sandwiches from the local sandwich shop and headed home. Hiccup sat at the kitchen table, eating his food rather quickly which made sense because he had skipped lunch. Gobber had eaten his food in the car, and had taken to brushing out Toothless' fur for the boy.

After Hiccup was done eating, a loud yawn escaped his lips as he stretched his arms. Gobber looked behind him with a chuckle and spotted the boy blushing in embarrassment. "Uh...I know i-it's e-early...but can I go to bed?" Hiccup asked in a small voice, gesturing to his wheelchair. Gobber nodded with a smile and lifted the boy into his arms. "Would you like me to turn on a show in your room?" Hiccup nodded excitedly.

Gobber lay his Godson down in his bedroom and placed a small box TV on the nightstand next to the bed. Hiccup was half asleep for some early shut eye with Toothless by his side as the duo intently watched 'Rise of the guardians', a movie about the guardians of childhood helping a boy named Jack Frost gain his memories and battle the king of nightmares. At least that's how Hiccup had explained it to Gobber on a piece of paper in his journal a while back.

Shortly after Hiccup had fallen asleep, Valka returned home with a tired but satisfied look on her face. Gobber gently removed her coat and told the mother that her son was asleep and the dishes were done. Valka was beyond relieved.

"You really didn't have to do all of this Gobber." Valka explained as she got a cup of coffee for both herself and her long-time friend. "It was my pleasure Val." Gobber looked a little uneasy and remembered his and Hiccup's previous conversation. "I do have to talk to you about something though." Valka looked up in curiosity and became worried when she saw Gobber's expression. "What's that?"

 **(A/N) Again this one's kind of short, but I'm really working on it. This was originally just supposed to be a one-shot collection about Hiccup's life but has gotten harder after I turned it into a story type of deal. Please leave a review!**


	22. Hookfang

**(A/N) Again another sort-of-short chapter (I think around 1,400 words without the A/N) but here you go and if you like Snotlout and Hiccup Cousin/cousin bonding, I think you'll like this one.**

It was a sunny day outside (for once) and birds sang outside peacefully. Toothless the young service dog lay on his back in the soft grasses below his feet. Two boys sat on the ground with toy trucks, one unable to stand thanks to a deformation in his leg.

"I-It's been too l-long since we played Snotlout." Hiccup said joyously with a laugh as Snotlout ran a toy truck into his cousin's. "Yeah. I think it's because my dad doesn't like me being around too many other kids. He says he thinks I'll hurt you because you're smaller than everyone else, but I've seen you take a hit or two like a champ." Snotlout attempted a compliment to his eleven year old cousin. Hiccup shrugged off the offensive parts and smiled at his cousin's kind words which came rarely from the overly-ego boy.

"Do you think Uncle Spitelout will let me stay the night?" Hiccup's eyes widened in surprise as he managed to speak of an uncomfortable topic without a single stutter. Snotlout seemed to notice this, though the confusion only remained in his eyes for a moment. "I don't know...like I said he doesn't want to be responsible if something happened to you. He just doesn't see..." Snotlout sighed and seemed saddened by something. Hiccup crawled over to his friend, ignoring the itching sensation the dirt left on his swollen leg.

"Doesn't see what?" Both boys smiled at the progress once more, before Snotlout's face fell again. Toothless was too far away to sense the boys' change in emotion, and continued playing nearby. "He doesn't see that sometimes I want to have smaller friends." Snotlout admitted with a blush. "Some of the kids with bigger bodies and more money are sometimes rather mean." He said in an innocent voice.

Hiccup smiled weakly at his cousin in comfort. He'd seen this oh so many times before. It was rare other kids wanted to hang out with him just to play. They were either scared because his wheelchair made him noticeably different, or their parents didn't understand and worried their kids would hurt another disabled one. One could say the hole situation granted the boy a few extra years of wisdom compared to his usual age group.

"It's okay Snotlout. I-I've been through i-it before." Hiccup frowned in frustration at the stutter once more. "I-If uncle doesn't wanna watch m-me...he doesn't have t-to." Snotlout looked up at his cousin with an almost angry look upon realizing sadness was beginning to creep into his cousin's eyes.

"I don't care!" Snotlout suddenly stated angrily. Hiccup tensed and flinched back when his more unpredictable relative stood up with his fists balled. "My dad is my dad, yeah, but he can't tell me who to play with at school! I love ya cuz, and I'm mad he doesn't want me too! My dad's mean to a lot of people because they aren't like him and my mom's never around." Hiccup raised his finger in the air, about to make a protest, when suddenly it seemed an unknown visitor had been angered by the commotion nearby.

A loud hissing sound suddenly sounded in the tall grass nearby, and from it's hiding place appeared a long green head and forked tongue. Hiccup had heard of these before. A type of lizard so closely related to the komodo dragon that that's what people called it, though unlike the original species of this creature it lived in the cold weathers of Berk and Defenders City. Another difference between this breed of dragon and the original one from the books was that it was non-venomous but it's hooked fangs and strong jaws could still kill a child such as Hiccup and Snotlout in one bite. If that didn't work, it also had a strong tail which could easily knock someone as vulnerable as Hiccup unconscious with the right advantage point.

"Hiccup I..." Snotlout froze in fear at the dangerous lizard nearby. Hiccup gulped and pushed himself up onto his knees. "Snotlout...no sudden moves." He whispered, clinging tightly to his friend's leg. The dragon edged closer with a deadly monstrous stare in it's eyes that could give anyone nightmares. These species of dragon tended to hunt more ferociously than their ancestor species. The reason why was unknown.

"Here's what I want you to do...Toothless is t-too far a-away and we can't call h-him without startling the d-dragon." Hiccup stuttered out nervously as the Komodo Dragon hissed louder. "H-help me stand up a-and stay behind me. I-I've about these things." Snotlout raised an eyebrow.

"How many different kinds of dangerous animals have you even read about?" Snotlout asked curiously as he did as he was told. Hiccup used his cousin for support as he stood and smiled lopsidedly. "When you can't talk it's easier to just read." He stated in a whisper as it seemed noise angered the intruding reptile more.

"O-ok big guy." Hiccup reached out a hand to the dragon as long as he was. Snotlout's eyes widened and he wanted to stop this crazy idea in it's tracks, but he couldn't have Hiccup getting hurt and it be his fault. So...he stuck with the plan.

The giant lizard stalked forward and opened it's mouth as if about to bite Hiccup's hand which would no doubt remove it. Snotlout tensed but his cousin remained calm and collected. It seemed that the lack of fear Hiccup presented to the lizard, the less it wanted to act out aggressively. At least it didn't seem hungry with how large it was and the way it moved. If anything the Komodo Dragon was more defensive and offensive. At last Snotlout realized what was going on. Hiccup knew that he was in the lizard's territory and the kids themselves were the intruders, not the other way around. He was trying to initiate peace so they could leave.

"We're just going." Hiccup whispered and reached out to touch the dragon which hissed at him and whipped it's tail against the ground in warning. It launched forward and tried to bite the intruders, sending both boys to the ground. Hiccup yelled out in surprise which was a warning signal to Toothless. The dog came running out of nowhere and stood firmly between his owner and the lizard. Luckily when the dragon tried to whip at Toothless the tail missed because the aim was direct for his left leg which was of course already missing.

"Toothless no! D-Don't attack it!" Hiccup yelled suddenly, making Snotlout freeze and the dog yelp having been startled. The dog didn't understand but obeyed his owner's commands. Instead he growled at the dragon and seemed to be having some sort of a stare off with it. It seemed like hours went by...but after some silent conversation the dragon seemed to back down and curiously walked to the boys in a much less threatening manner.

Once again Hiccup reached out to touch the giant lizard, and he laughed in delight when the new found friend allowed the touch. Why as the dragon didn't seem to quiet like being touched...it didn't seem to mind it either. Snotlout smiled and with a shaky hand reached out and touched the lizard too. He was surprised and frightened when the animal jumped on him, but relieved when it seemed it was only being curious and began sniffing his shirt but leaving no marks.

"Huh...those are some pretty awesome teeth." Snotlout stated quietly when the Komodo Dragon opened it's mouth. Only Snotlout would be able to marvel at such a thing in this situation. "I think I'll call you...Hookfang."

Suddenly Spitelout appeared in Snotlout and Hiccup's vision carrying sandwiches for a late lunch. He dropped the food in shock when he saw the sight in front of him, and when he heard the story of just how these two boys survived an attack from such a dangerous creature...the uncle had different opinions about his nephew's vulnerability and strengths.


	23. Twelfth birthday

Hiccup Haddock set at the dinner table with a large smile on his face. He was surrounded by all his friends from school and his two half siblings along with his parents and uncle. Today was his twelfth birthday. He was finally a preteen and that came with it's own ups and downs.

After everyone had wished Hiccup a happy birthday they began eating lunch. The boy still found it a bit hard to gain weight do to lack of an appetite and enjoyed playing with his friends at the table more than the food in front of him. Ruffnut and Tuffnut were in a miniature food fight, Snotlout was talking to Valka, and Hiccup was in his father's lap while chatting with Astrid and Fishlegs.

"Can't believe you're already twelve Hiccup. We're almost teenagers!" Astrid said happily through a mouth full of food. Fishlegs held his fork up and nodded enthusiastically. "Truth be told on that." He may not have been able to see, but recently had a hearing aid put in that improved his hearing enough to be able to understand conversations at a close distance. Hiccup smiled and held onto both of his father's hands happily. Why as he was now twelve years old, he was the size of an eight year old compared to his much larger father-a rather buff and very tall man standing at almost seven feet.

"Don't try to grow up too fast Hiccup. I'm only fifteen but high school is already being a pain in the rear." Dagur gestured to his backside while talking causing his younger half-brother to chuckle. "I thought you weren't in high school yet." Heather questioned her brother with an eyebrow raised. "Remember? They moved me up in most of my classes since I have been doing better after I was held back. Most of the time I'm on campus I'm in the high school." Heather nodded and continued quietly eating her macaroni and sausage. Everyone else was having either that or hot dogs. The macaroni was mainly meant for the younger kids such as the Thorsten twins' new nephew who had come do to being baby sat by his cousins' parents.

"He's got a point. Now why don't you eat son? You've been so busy you haven't even taken a bite." Stoick said warmly while holding Hiccup's plate out in front of him. Hiccup leaned back into his father and took the paper plate in his hands. He had macaroni like his sister did and ate about half a plate before declaring he was too full to eat anymore.

* * *

After the party, Astrid, Snotlout, the twins, and Fishlegs had to go home along with their parents. Dagur and Heather had convinced their father to allow them to stay the night at their mother's house for the first time so they could hang out with Hiccup for the night.

"So...what do you guys wanna do?" Heather asked a little shyly as her and her two brothers sat on the bed in Hiccup's room. Hiccup had a new journal he'd gotten for his birthday and was drawing something in it. He tore out a page, folded it, and stored it in his pocket as if he was saving notes for something. Always in his own little world it seemed to this day.

"What if we go play Minecraft? I saw your uncle bought you a gaming system for your birthday." Dagur offered up an idea. Hiccup shrugged. "I don't like video games m-much. I like drawing." He mumbled, then looked at Heather. "What do you think we should do?"

Heather looked down at her hands and came up with some ideas. "Why don't we go see what mom will allow?" She asked quietly. Dagur didn't seem extremely happy about the idea of his sister calling the man who left him mom, but he knew she had every right too. Hiccup agreed and so did his brother.

"Alright." Dagur said and he held out his arms for his brother. Hiccup smiled and held onto his taller brother's arms who helped him into the wheelchair. Toothless hopped into his rider's lap with his tongue hanging out happily as his owner rolled his eyes and rolled them both into the living room.

"Hey mom? Dad?" Hiccup asked loudly as he and his two half siblings entered the living room and spotted his parents. Valka and Stoick looked at the trio happily, and Toothless jumped down from his owner's lap to go to his dog food bow.

"What's it you want my boy?" Stoick asked and kneeled in front of Hiccup's wheelchair. The boy smiled brightly, not having seen his father often like this as the man was always busy on trips or at work in another city. "We were wondering what we could do since th-there's not much to do around th-the uh...house." Hiccup said, struggling to show his father how much better he'd been getting at his speech without hardly stuttering.

Stoick smiled at his son's determination. "What is it you guys want to do? Spitelout got you a new gaming system, you have your different toys on your mat, there's space outside and it's a sunny day..." Stoick drifted off, trying to give his son ideas. Hiccup looked over at his mat where he liked to sit with his friends since he couldn't walk with them. There lay toy trucks, a sketch pad, draw erase board, digital learning game, wooden dragon figurines, and books. Then decided against it.

"What do you guys want?" Hiccup mumbled to his siblings. The sun was starting to set outside, so they wouldn't be able to play outside for very long. Heather and Dagur looked at each other, before looking at Hiccup's mat. "What if draw or something?" Dagur requested, gesturing to the floor. Hiccup was surprised. He didn't really want to go outside because of his wheelchair, and kind of wanted to stay on his mat where he was comfortable. He didn't think his siblings would want too do what he liked so went against it. It was a shock to see independent Dagur and sure of herself Heather wanting to do something that made him feel more normal. He didn't complain.

Hiccup rolled over to his mat and Heather sat down on the corner. She was careful not to knock over the box of things Fishlegs liked to use for sensory when he was over. There were also a few braille books. Hiccup pushed up on the arms of his wheelchair to get out, but almost fell forward. Dagur quickly caught his younger brother and looked down at Hiccup with a smile. The younger boy looked up with wide eyes, blushing slightly in embarrassment.

"Uh...th-thanks." Hiccup mumbled as he was lowered from his wheelchair and onto the floor. Dagur nodded and grabbed a sketchpad to start drawing. Heather decided to try and build different landscapes with the wooden figurines and plastic people. Hiccup drew on his draw erase board, once again going into his own little world as his mind ran wild.

* * *

A few hours after the three siblings decided to hang out on Hiccup's map, they soon became board and a little tired. Heather was led by Valka to the shower while Dagur and Hiccup stayed on the couch with Toothless at their feet. Stoick had gone to bed early, having woken up very early the previous night so he could get home before his son woke up.

"So...good birthday?" Dagur asked while the television played in the background. The boys were watching a movie about a dragon and long lost rider. Hiccup shrugged his shoulders and leaned against his brother in a side hug. "It was fun." He sighed contently. Pretty soon Valka walked back into the room with Heather next to her in a green night gown with a wet braid. Dagur smiled warmly. "You're looking pretty tonight sis." Heather whipped her hair over her shoulder confidently. "You got it." The fourteen year old smirked at her brother before kneeling next to Toothless to play with him. Dagur rolled his eyes and headed to the shower with his pajamas in hand.

After Dagur was done with his shower Valka helped Hiccup into his. The boy still struggled with simple tasks such as these, and sat on a special chair in the shower so he didn't have to stand up. When he was younger he would just take baths, but now he didn't quiet like to do that because he had to have so much help getting out. Once he was done he combed his hair back and threw on a light green tunic and leggings.

"Are you guys sleeping in my room?" Hiccup asked his siblings once he rolled back into the living room. Heather and Dagur shrugged and Valka walked in. "We talked about it and Heather was going to sleep with my while your father slept on the couch Hiccup. Dagur and you will share your bed." Hiccup nodded and smiled at his mother before gesturing for Dagur to follow him.

After Hiccup locked his wheelchair wheels and climbed onto his bed he gestured for Dagur who obliged and lay down next to him. The boy raised the bars on his bed which both prevented him from rolling off, and helped him lift himself up if he needed to get out of bed in the middle of the night. With most kids who rolled in their sleep as much as he did they could just climb back into bed. With Hiccup though and his bad leg he had to have more precautions.

Both boys fell asleep rather quickly, and Heather was happy to have a night sleeping next to her mother which she never got as a little kid like most girls once did. It was an odd feeling because she was so much older, but no less a comforting experience considering how little close moments she got with her father. A great twelfth birthday indeed.


	24. Adoption

Valka sat with Hiccup and Fishlegs on either side of her. She wanted her husband to be here for this, but unfortunately Stoick had to leave for work for another few weeks. Fishlegs had already had this conversation with his grandparents, but was confused about the hole situation and as to how Hiccup would react.

"What did you want to talk to us about mom?" Twelve year old Hiccup asked with those innocent forest green eyes of his sparkling with curiosity. Valka smiled and wrapped an arm around her son. "You and Fishlegs are good friend right?" She asked quietly. The boy nodded. "What would you do if you two became brothers?" Hiccup raised a finger to his chin as if he was debating many different reactions, before he shrugged his shoulders.

"I'd love to have another brother. Dagur's a bit crazy." Hiccup stated which caused both his mother and Fishlegs to chuckle. Valka looked at Fishlegs, making sure the boy was following okay. He was able to hear now, if only a little, though she still held his hand and signed everything against it as Hiccup had taught her years ago.

"I talked to the Ingermans...and we've been watching Fishlegs for a while so he could get used to the surrounding of this house. Your father and I spoke about it Hiccup, and we've decided to legally adopt Fishlegs as one of our. He'll be a Haddock." Valka tried to explain the situation best she could without getting too technical or detailed.

"But what about Fishleg's parents?" Hiccup asked. Fishlegs reached over Valka and held onto his adoptive brother's hand as he had done many times before. He signed to him. _"My parents couldn't take care of me. My grandparents can't do what's best for me in their home. They trust your mom to help me."_

Hiccup frowned, at first not quiet getting a few things. He shoved away the negative though like he had a habit of doing and simply smiled. "Will he share my room?" The boy asked curiously. Valka smiled, having expected this.

"Actually, your father and I built up a room for Fishlegs." Fishlegs smiled at hearing this and his eyes widened. Valka chuckled and Hiccup just looked confused. The mother led both boys to the new room.

* * *

Fishlegs felt around his surroundings and Valka led him to everything so he could get used to everything and feel more comfortable. She led the boy to a long bed with heavy blankets, a dresser with three day outfits, three jackets, four pairs of pajamas, and some extra covers in it. There was also a nightstand full of braille books, a blue and green bumpy mat on the floor, and the walls were decorated with different dragon stickers even if the boy couldn't see it.

Hiccup marveled at the room around him. It wasn't a room he'd want to have, for it just wasn't a reflection of his personality. He did think it looked pretty cool though, and was sure he and his new adoptive brother would spend a lot of time hanging out in here.

"Can Hiccup and I stay in here for a while?" Fishlegs asked in a slightly shy voice, picking up a book from his nightstand. Valka smiled and agreed. She left both twelve year olds in the new bedroom to play while she went to do laundry and make dinner.

"This is a pretty cool room Fishlegs." Hiccup said while signing against his new found adoptive brother's hand at his side. Fishlegs agreed as they both sat on the colorful, bumpy mat on the floor. Fishlegs read and Hiccup drew on a piece of paper from the dresser. Both boys engaged in random conversation about pretty much imaginative nonsense regarding inventions using the help of dragons in a different time period for hours.

* * *

Valka called both boys in for dinner who imediatly left out of the bedroom, Fishlegs feeling and running while his friend used the wheelchair. Hiccup called the seat closest to the TV and his mother, being an attached boy. Fishlegs was stuck with the smaller, further chair but didn't really mind much.

Valka was not only amused at seeing her two boys already competing like brothers, but at seeing how eager her son was to be near her even at his pre-teen age. The mother set two bole of soup down for her son's and went to unload the dishwasher while they ate.

Hiccup noticed his friend was having a hard time eating do to his blindness. Despite how badly the momma's-boy wanted to sit closer to the area Valka was in, he scooted down two chairs so he was right next to Fishlegs. He tapped the other boy's hand, telling him to let go of the spoon. Similar to how his father had gotten him to eat when he was younger and having a hard time gaining weight, Hiccup grabbed a piece of bread from the center of the table and broke it up in the soup. He then put the spoon back down and thanks to the bread making the food more solid, Fishlegs recently named Haddock found it much easier to eat his meal.

* * *

After dinner was done both boys went to take their showers. Both of them had a hard time with such a simple task thanks their different disabilities, but with their mother to help it was much easier. For Hiccup Valka had to help him get over the step outside the shower and onto the shower chair. For Fishlegs everything had to be placed in specific spots and he needed help adjusting the water.

After showers Hiccup and Fishlegs went to bed in their own rooms. Fishlegs almost imediatly crashed thanks to how welcomed he felt by the Haddock house he'd practically grown up in, and Hiccup stayed up for a while with Toothless.

Two different boys, two different back stories, two _very_ different personalities, and two different sets of disabilities. At the same time, both boys had one set of parents, one love for the same things, and one brotherly bond that would _never_ be broken.


	25. Thirteen and struggling

**(A/N) Hey guys and gals! I have to say I really appreciate those of you who have been leaving reviews and those of you writers who have been helping with the story. I know the chapters have been a bit shorter, and the story may be seeming a bit blan, but I promise you it's adding up to more of the adventure. That's just how life is. Sometimes things aren't interesting, but then something comes your way. Sometimes...that something isn't as great as you might want, and can crash into one's face and rock their world in a rather negative way. You'll need to know this for future chapters. I also appreciate those of you who take notice of the little surprises we attempt to add such as the Dagur and Heather chapter or Snotlout's pet which yes, he will keep. Glad I can answer that review's question here. You will all get to see the other character's pets in future chapters as well which I and pandamaster97720 tried hard to make creative and relatable to the movies.**

 **Anyways, enough nostalgia and explaining. Let's read!**

Hiccup and Fishlegs sat in Hiccup's rooms with a book in both of their hands. They'd just returned home from school and decided to take a break with just the two of them. Just recently the two brothers had turned thirteen, and with their increasing age tended to spend more time together than with their parents.

"How was school today?" Hiccup asked his adoptive brother after finishing a chapter in his book. The silence in the room was just becoming a little too awkward. Fishlegs faced his brother with a half smile. "Eh...you know the kids don't really like the different kids." He said in a neutral voice. "I mean it's fun hanging with the 'special needs' kids...but I wouldn't say the normal crowd found much interest in me." Hiccup nodded to himself with a frown.

"I know how you feel. It seems like when we were younger kids at least tried. Now...it's like other kids aren't just scared of my wheelchair...but they judge me for it. Then there's the nervous stutter." Fishlegs reached over and lay his hand over Hiccup's who sighed and squeezed the larger boy's beefy fingers. He was always the smaller one in the crowd.

Toothless cooed to his owner and hopped up on the bed best he could with his handicap. He lay his head in Hiccup's lap contently. The boy above him chuckled with a sigh before his mother and father entered the room.

"Hey guys! You two doing okay?" Stoick asked light-heartedly despite knowing deep down everyday at school was hard for the two. He would only be home for the next three days before having to go back and work on organizing a recent police report along with having to manage the schedule at his business job.

"We're okay dad. Just reading." Hiccup replied to his father with a lopsided grin. His freckles stood out despite his face being lightly sunburned, and he was still in his red and brown school clothes. He wore a fur boot over his right foot, but here recently found it hard to wear shoes on his left one. Even getting dressed was becoming hard. As the boy had started hitting his teen-years growth spurts, it seemed as if why as one leg was growing longer the other one developed the wrong way like it had when he was a growing baby, and therefor became so bad he wore a blanket over it at school do to being self-conscious.

Stoick smiled too. It wasn't often he saw his son as content with himself as he was today. Just calm and collected, not stressing about what kids on the block or in school talked about. It was obvious those problems were still _there,_ but at least Hiccup was now mature enough to smile despite them. Fishlegs just didn't care what other people thought. He'd once said he couldn't see the judging faces anyways so there was no point. He also couldn't hear the whispering so didn't know who's knowledge to trust about the topic, so just let it be.

"Alright. Well...are you two going to want dinner soon? I'm making it early." Hiccup and Fishlegs both faced upwards. Despite Hiccup not being much of a heavy eater, he still liked sitting at the dinner table with his family and chatting about the day. Then there was the concept of desert.

"We'd like to eat." Hiccup said with a broad smile. Both of his parents and Fishlegs agreed, and the family left the bedroom. Hiccups sat closest to his father, Fishlegs in the corner. Valka sat near Toothless' food bowl which currently had a very hungry and rather plump service dog devouring his meal from it.

"It's fish again." Hiccups said to his brother who tended to ask what they were having do to not being able to see it or hardly hear far away conversations around the meal. Fishlegs nodded with a smile and began eating. Hiccup on the other hand continued reading his book from earlier. That is...until a large, beefy hand much larger than the both of his blocked his view of the page.

"You need to eat son." Stoick said calmly in a fatherly voice. Hiccup looked up at him, lips pursed and forming a line. He looked down at his food with a shrug. "You know I have a tendency to not recognize hunger dad." The boy said quietly and looked down.

Stoick smiled slightly and closed his son's book, making sure to mark the page with a napkin. "You can have this back when you've eaten half the plate for me." He said. He wasn't meaning to be stern or a bully, but a father just had to do what he had to do to keep his children safe. Hiccup knew this, having always admired his father's skill in authority even though it sometimes put him in rather unwanted situations. He pulled his plate closer and began eating.

* * *

About an hour passed where the family and conversed. They had a pumpkin spice bread for desert before it was time to get dressed for bed. After showering, Hiccup and Fishlegs sat on the mat in the living room which had been their since the boys were only toddlers. They both wore green pajamas, and Hiccup wore a fur vest as well.

Why as Fishlegs had fun playing with different dragon figurines as he always had, Hiccup lay on his stomach and drew in his sketchpad, in his own world as always. He was sketching a picture of Toothless but in dragon form. The dragons were a mythical species both boys and really their hole friend group had grown interest in over the years. Hiccup had even drawn pictures of his parents as 'dragon-humans' when he was little. A talent he always had and imagination he would continue to wield powerfully.

"You know Hiccup...I don't think I'll ever get board of hanging with you. Not even after we're adults." Hiccup didn't look up from his book, but a smile reached the corner of his mouth. "I think I could agree with that Fishlegs." He said and Toothless barked as if agreeing.

Both parents of the boys watched their sons from a distance. Stoick was working on some papers and Valka was patching up one of Hiccup's pairs of pants. The boy tended to tear the left leg when he'd move his larger-do-to-swelling deformed leg. Something the wife and her husband were planning on re-discussing with the doctors sooner than later...

Even if they _did_ fear the news they would receive about their growing boy and his condition.


	26. Surgery

**(A/N) Do to the fact that pandamaster97720 is also a writer and inspiration of this story, we've decided to start doing collaboration chapters. This chapter was started and mostly written by pandamaster97720 who was the original inspiration and source of the idea for this story.**

It was an early spring day and the Haddocks were spending time together in the one place that Hiccup disliked and that was the hospital. It had been a rough 4 months with how painful his left leg had gotten, not to mention his back as well. As Gobber had told Valka when he watched Hiccup for her and Stoick while they were at work a while back, Hiccup's leg and back were causing him pain.

Ever since then the two parents kept a close eye on their son to see if he was in pain. Up to this point his leg and back weren't causing him too much pain or discomfort, but in the last four months they had been causing him _much_ pain and discomfort. So much so that he had to be taken to the hospital to see what was causing these symptoms.

As the Haddocks sat in Hiccup's hospital bed waiting for word from the doctor about the leg and why it was causing him so much pain and discomfort, minutes seemed like hours for the doctors to come back to deliver what could be the worst possible news. Just that happened when the doctor returned to Hiccup's hospital room and delivered that the reason why his left leg had been causing him so much trouble was that a tumor was growing on his leg and had grown so much so that in order to help him continue with his life they'd have to amputate the limb. It would be the only way to help 14 year old Hiccup in the long run.

As they take in the news, both Stoick and Valka thought back on how they ended up in this very situation.

 ** _Four months ago in the Haddock household._**

 _Hiccup is sitting down in the living room reading his books while leaning against the couch. Occasionally he shifts around-groaning in pain-just to find some way to ease the discomfort coming from his left leg and back. Valka notices this and asks him if he's ok._

 _Before Hiccup gets a word in edgewise, Valka reminds him that she knows he is a terrible liar. The boy comes clean to his mother about the pain that he is in. They make an appointment with his doctor to discuss what can be done to help ease the pain and discomfort. Doctor Ingerman states that all they can do for now is to just give him pain medications and if the pain gets to sever to take Hiccup to the hospital. As they return home, Valka informs Stoick about what the doctor said about the leg and back causing their son pain and discomfort. They made a plan to keep a close eye on him, and decide to ask his teachers to keep an eye out for him during class for any signs of pain or discomfort which they agree too._

Now, after four whole months of hoping their son would be okay and this phase of pain was just do to growing pains, Stoick and Valka saw the realistic solution right in front of them. It was the best solution, but not even close to the easiest.

Valka rubbed her son's left arm with one hand, and brushed his smooth head of hair with her other. Hiccup lay with his head in her lap, eyes closed peacefully. He was on strong medications from the doctors that helped him feel more comfortable, but they also made him more tired. Considering how much the fourteen year old hated hospitals, this was probably a good thing.

Hiccup understood what the doctors meant when they spoke to him and his parents. Not only had he met many other kids with amputations in his life full of hospital visits, but he was fourteen now and a smart enough kid to know. He knew why his parents were so worried too. It was because the emotional toll the procedure would take on him.

After what seemed like hours of waiting, the doctors got Hiccup into a clean grey hospital gown and put in an IV. The boy was none-to-pleased with this, not much of a fan of so many people standing around him or putting their hands on him. With that said though...he knew in the end they were just trying to help. He was more mature than he might've been four years ago.

"You doing okay kiddo?" One doctor asked. He was a tall man with red-ish orange-ish hair and a strong build. He wore a black suit. Hiccup looked up at him and nodded. Valka and Stoick smiled as they sat on either side of their son.

"I'm Throk. A friend of your speech therapist Mala." Throk continued to explain, shaking everyone's hands. "Mala got ahold of me and told me the situation. In the past few days that your family has come to the decision to have an amputation, I wanted to ask if you'd like me to be Hiccup's physical therapist as recommended by our hospital's services."

Valka and Stoick looked at each other hesitantly before smiling up at Throk once more. "Can you give us the information?" Stoick asked while shaking the man's hand. Throk nodded and handed the father a card with his number along with a vanilla envelope with different papers in it.

After giving Stoick and Valka the information they needed, Throk kneeled down so he was face to face with Hiccup who lay down with half-lidded eyes. "You're going to be alright Hiccup Haddock. Just remember your parents will be here for you when you wake up. We all will be." Hiccup smiled a lopsided smile, before two doctors lifted the sides of his bed. His parents bid him farewell, and Hiccup hugged each one of them tightly.

After Hiccup was wheeled into the surgery room, the doctors lay him on a smaller bed and put a mask over his mouth. The boy tried to act brave, and didn't show any signs of discomfort as different gloved hands attached moniters to his body. It seemed he wasn't phased at all. Not until the last minute.

A woman wearing a medical mask put a medication through Hiccup's IV so suddenly it stung. He shouted two words through his mask. "Mom?! Toothless?!" He asked panicked, before everything went dark.


	27. Waking up

**(A/N) Sorry for late update guys and gals! The first part is Pandamaster97720's writing, the second part mine. We're currently working on the next chapter as we create this one. Please review!**

As Hiccup's senses start to return to him, he looks around the room with blurry eyes which try to focus on the shapes around him. The boy feels something wet on his cheek as he turns to the source of the slobber. With a confused voice he asks "Toothless?" and in responses to his question a flurry of licks hit him.

When Hiccup tried to get toothless to stop he unintentionally woke up his parents who were sleeping in chairs on the sides of his hospital bed. They woke up and saw that hiccup was awake. The boy was greeted by a flurry of hugs and kisses from his mother and a strong but comfortable hug from his father as he returned the hugs as best as he could, his mind still in a drug induced cloud. The doctor entered the room and was pleased to see that hiccup was awake albeit he was not totally there at the moment. The doctor and parents expected that Hiccup would be tired from the surgery. As the doctor asked Stoick and Valka to step out of the room with him, Hiccup fell back to sleep using Toothless as a pillow.

As Stoick and Valka began to talk, the doctor calmly told them that the reason Hiccup was having back pain was because he was developing scoliosis-a curve in the spine that can be moderate or severe-and that they are going to monitor the boy closely incase they wind up needing to do surgery which would correct his spine. Valka and Stoick continued to talk and make a plan on how they are going to deal with this piece of news.

* * *

Hours after Hiccup had first woken up, he opened his eyes and saw both of his parents standing over him. Valka gently placed her hand in the center of her son's back to help him sit up. Stoick began putting the harness on Toothless so they could go home.

Life became a little tougher when Hiccup first arived home. He went to school like usual, but continuously had people asking about his leg. Teachers were always asking if he was hurting or wanted to go to the nurse. He'd also found the removal of his leg an emotional struggle. Trying to cope with the sudden loss was harder than he let on. The boy suffered phantom pains as a result of his brain attempting to replace what was no longer there, and the emotional impact of being crowded by so many people when he was normally a fairly isolated boy made Hiccup become more defensive. It apeared as if he'd lost his ability to speak as a result of the emotional strain, and he'd started reverting back to signing or not speaking at all.

"Are you okay?" Valka asked her son as she used a cloth to clean the stitches on his leg and make the swelling go down. There were a few times the stitches across his amputation sight had become dark red and slightly infected, but with cleaning and the right medicines it'd gotten better. It'd been around three weeks since he'd come home.

Hiccup looked down at his mother who was cleaning his leg while he sat in his wheelchair. The 14 year old gripped the sides of his chair tightly to ease the stinging in his stump. He nodded quickly, before closing his eyes and gritting his teeth. Toothless whimpered at his owner's side, sensing Hiccup's stress.

"Are you sure Hiccup? You know you can tell me. I'm your mother." Hiccup bit his lip and nodded, before raising his hands out in front of him. He signed the words 'please stop' when his mom hit a sensitive spot on his leg. Valka noticed imediatly and wrapped her arms around her son. Hiccup buried his face in her shoulder, and for a moment it didn't matter if he was a teenage boy. He was a kid in distress and his mother was offering to help him. He trusted her.

"Can I continue?" Valka asked quietly. "I'll be more gentle." Hiccup nodded his head. Valka sighed. She wished her son would speak again. How she loved all the progress they'd made. It was understandable with the situation though.

Days like this were common now. Hiccup would come home from school emotionally exhausted. He'd try to speak but not have the energy. He missed his father who was working again. His leg was just starting to heal the right way. At least he had his family though.

* * *

"Are you okay?" Once again Valka asked the same question she had to ask many times before because Hiccup refused to willingly show his weakness or needs. The boy nodded silently and looked at the metal replacement for his left leg. A long metal rod with a rubber foot and shoe attached to the end fit under the green left leg of his leggings, replacing anything from the knee down. His stitches had fallen out, so now Hiccup was expected to work with his physical therapist, Throk, and learn how to walk for the first time in his life. This was different than with most kids or adults who had lost a leg. Hiccup had never learned how to walk even when he was little, so this was a new situation entirely.

 _I'll be fine. It doesn't hurt anymore._ Hiccup signed, never looking up from his leg. It was an odd feeling, seeing something else replacing the leg he once had complete feeling in. He'd grown up with a deformed, shorter left leg. Now here was one that looked as if one could actually walk on it, and he couldn't feel it like his other one so it couldn't cause him pain. Yet...he still felt a sense of dread over excitement.

"I don't believe that's exactly what your mother was referring to Hiccup." Throk kneeled in front of Hiccup who stood on his prosthetic, holding onto two metal bars at his sides. The boy looked into the man's eyes, and the sudden lack of being able to see the floor beneath him made him feel unstable. He tripped over himself, but was caught quickly. Throk smiled.

"What you're facing here is a new experience. You aren't just getting used to a new replacement, but at the same time the experience of being able to stand on your own without something or someone to steady you. It's going to be hard, both emotionally and physically. We're here for you, and you're aloud to tell us if you don't want to do something okay?" Hiccup smiled a real smile for the first time in a while and lifted one foot. He placed it back on the ground, standing strait. To anyone else this was a simply action, but for him it was something he'd never been able to do on his own.

Throk and Valka watched as Hiccup continued to try and try to steady himself. No matter what he did...he just couldn't find the coordination or strength to move himself forward. Throk eventually moved out of his way, giving him a break. Toothless was bored of sitting respectfully, and took the opportunity to run to his owner. Both adults tried to stop him, before the dog froze about a foot in front of Hiccup.

Hiccup smiled when Toothless barked at him, and let go of the bars at his sides subconsciously. He reached out to touch his dog, but Toothless was just too far away. Only a few inches out of reach. When Valka and Throk were too busy talking about more ways to help the boy walk to actually see him, Hiccup found the strength to step forward. A small step, but enough to reach his dog. Toothless made the odd purring sound he was known for, and took a step back. Hiccup grunted and tried to move forward again only to fall. He was quickly caught by the dog, and steadied himself with the bars at his sides.

Once Hiccup was steadied, he silently took another step forward. At first he didn't know how to, having never experienced taking a step before. Like a baby learning to toddle for the first time though, once he'd become familiar with that first step his brain registered moving his legs one after the other connecting to the ability to move forward without the use of wheels. He didn't need wheels anymore...he had his own legs.

Throk and Valka turned around when they heard Toothless bark happily. They both froze when Hiccup once again managed to shock them with an achievement. The adults had expected the boy to just get used to the feel of his prosthetic. Here he was though...shuffling his feet forward mere centimeters at a time without the use of the bars for balance. He turned from side to side to get to his best friend, and soon those sliding feet became moving legs as centimeters became inches. He was walking.

In the end it seemed all Hiccup really needed wasn't the right therapist, but the right encouragement. Then it registered in Throk and Valka's mind as they watched Toothless hop on his own three legs. The service animal had been through this same process before in his own way. He knew how to teach Hiccup from experience. _Toothless_ was that encouragement.


	28. Apprentice request

**(A/N) This one's rather short, but after pandamaster97720 finished the first part I had to finish the rest on my phone so really it makes sense.**

On one oddly sunny winters day Gobber was babysitting his favorite godson. While sitting at the table, Hiccup was writing and drawing in his journal working on his motor-gross skills. After a while, he suddenly started to feel a phantom pain and signed to Gobber that he needed to lay down. Gobber helped Hiccup lay down on the couch, not bothering to tell the boy he should start speaking over signing again as he knew the boy was questioned about it everyday.

After Hiccup was laying on a couch in the back of Gobber's forge, the man got curious about what his Godson was writing in his journal and what he saw amazed him. Detailed writing and intricate designs of inventions that seemed to run endlessly inside the boy's head at all times littered the pages of his journal. For only being fourteen years of age and honestly not incredibly interested in his schoolwork, young Hiccup was not only creative, but appeared to be far above average in intelligence as well. He also seemed to have a hidden talent for inventing which somehow didn't surprise the old blacksmith who had known the boy for so long.

After Hiccup awoke from a long rest, Gobber told him as he finished looking through his journal that he had a way to help the boy improve his motor-gross skills and have an outlet for his creative mind if he wanted too. Hiccup listened intently as Gobber explained the solution was to start work with him in his blacksmith shop as his apprentices and then once he is older be a full time employee. All Hiccup would need to do is run the idea by his parents to see if they would okay with it.

As Gobber explained the details to Hiccup the boy started to like the idea. He quickly agreed with Gobber enthusiastically, stating that he would love to become his apprentices in his blacksmith shop through signing. As they continued to talk about what a blacksmith does, what kinds of things Hiccup could create, and the type of training that he would have to do in order start working as his apprentice, a newfound confidence grew within Hiccup. Maybe he could find something he was not only good at, but that he would enjoy doing.

* * *

After Hiccup was finished spending the day with Gobber, his mother brought him home and helped him get into his wheelchair and inside. His leg was still healing from surgery, so he hadn't gotten a prosthetic to use instead of his wheelchair yet.

 _Mom, I need to ask you something._ Hiccup signed to his mother once they were both inside. Valka watched his hands for a description. The boy smiled.

 _Gobber saw some of the things I wrote in my journal. He wants me to be his apprentice. I need you and dad's permission. Can you call Gobber and tell him I can?_ Hiccup asked, moving around in his seat in anticipation. His mother smiled and kneeled down in front of her son.

"I'll tell you what Hiccup. If you'll keep working with me on your healing and speech, then as long as you can bring your grades up in school I'll call Gobber tonight. Do we have a deal?" Hiccup smiled and nodded his head, telling his mother thank you. He shuffled in his seat, though soon found himself wincing as another pain hit. It seemed to just be one of those days.

"Does your leg hurt son?" Valka asked with worry in her eyes. Hiccup wanted to tell her no and that he was fine, but he couldn't stop the sweat forming on his head. He simply nodded and his mother smiled sadly.

"Can I help you clean it? Then you can go rest for an hour before I make dinner?" Hiccup smiled lopsidedly and cocked his head to the side. He opened his mouth and his mother heard him speak for the first time in months.

"Thank you mom."

After Hiccup woke up from a long rest and ate dinner he was ecstatic to hear his mother and future teacher had spoken and agreed on Hiccup working at the blacksmith shop . He was surprised though when his mother threw new news at him.

"I spoke with Gobber Hiccup, and once he'd let me go I got a message from Throk about a new activity I think would help you." Valka stated excitedly. She seemed so sure. "What would your opinion be on going to a camp for kids like you in the future?"

Hiccup looked down at his hands in his lap. He forced himself to smile, but deep down didn't know exactly how to feel about this new idea. Perhaps he'd just have to see.

 **(A/N) I'm updating this chapter because I didn't add in a detail. Hiccup HAS used a prosthetic before In the last chapter, but he doesn't have his OWN yet as his leg is still healing a bit.**


	29. NF camp

**(A/N) pandamaster97720 and I took turns writing each group of paragraphs in this chapter. Some of the writing is mine and some is hers.**

"It was slowly approaching the month of July and having talked with Stoick about the camp along with Hiccup about this more they decided that the camp idea would be good for the boy. As they did their research about the camp they found out that the name of the campground was "Kostopoulo". They also learned that it had been running for over 23 years and that its an international camp. Some of the fun activities that he would do at camp this year are going to the local zoo, going to an amusement park, going to a water park, and some of the activities that they do on the campground were going horseback riding, high and low ropes course, rock climbing, and on the last day survive day and talent show/ award show.

Although Hiccup was unsure if he would like going to this camp and being away from his family and friends and of course Toothless, he knew that he shouldn't rushed his opinion on whether or not he would like this camp before he actually went. He was wanting to see if they'd come back next year.

As the days slowly closed in on the day he would have to leave for camp, there were still lot of things to do in order to prepare for Hiccup to go. One of those things was getting a physical done for the camp doctors and making sure he has his pain medication for his migraines. They also needed to make sure he had everything on their checklist which included cloths for the whole week, a swimsuit for the pool and the water park, sunscreen to prevent sunburns, two towels for the pool and the other for bathing in the showers, water shoes, personal hygiene products, hat and sunglasses if he wants to bring them, he could bring a camera if he wanted to take pictures of his experiences and of all of the friends he would potentially make, and a notebook/ address book to keep track of names and phone number of his friends. He could bring his phone if he wanted but it would be taken from him and along with his other electronics and money. The restricted things Hiccup would bring with him would be locked in the main office. He would be aloud to take money out when they go to the amusement park, the zoo, and the water park.

* * *

A few weeks after fifteen year old Hiccup had gotten everything he needed for camp, his parents and camp counselors helped him get settled on the campgrounds. His extra money was put up for safe keeping, and he'd put his clothes and supplies up for later on.

Hiccup silently walked on his prosthetic through the camp grounds as he met everyone he'd be staying with. Different counselors and kids said hi to him, some of the volunteers and his peers looking slightly nervous about the week to come. The boy himself was feeling a bit sick to his stomach and cautious as well, though didn't let anyone know do to his prideful nature. Instead, he simply stuck close to the side of the first woman who had welcomed him, but tried to make his nerves unnoticeable. Without Toothless at his side, the boy felt a little afraid to be isolated in case something was to happen like a migraine or backache. Then were the phantom pains which still tended to bother him even though he was used to the new leg he'd been given.

Once Hiccup had been shown his way around a portion of the campgrounds, the main leaders announced that the next event they'd be attending would be swimming. Every kid, teen, and young adult got changed for the event, some having help do to different medical struggles. It warmed Hiccup's heart a little to see there were other-some even being older than him-who need help just like he did with his medication, leg, and communication. The warmth and excitement he felt soon overrode his anxiety.

After Hiccup had changed into swim shorts and a short sleeve shirt, he walked outside of the bathroom and looked around to see what everyone else was doing. Maybe he could receive silent advice on how the camp worked from people who had been there before. What surprised the boy was when he saw a young blonde his age who was surprisingly familiar.

"A-Astrid?" Hiccup stuttered out in surprise, walking up to the girl. Astrid turned around with eyes widened in surprise, but soon smiled and hugged her friend. When she pulled away she chuckled at the confused boy in front of her.

"I didn't know you'd be here. Do to the inspiration I receive being your friend, my parents allowed me to volunteer here as a summer project for my physiology teacher. How are you Hiccup?" Astrid asked in an upbeat tone, obvious more excited to be here than anything else. Hiccup shrugged his shoulders and looked at his hands.

 **Well actually...kind of nervous.** Hiccup signed to his friend. Astrid frowned and took his left hand in hers, looking him in the eyes. "You know you can talk to me Hiccup. I heard your mother saying you were having a hard time with that after losing your leg a few months ago. Are you doing okay?" She asked in a worried tone. Hiccup gave her a half smile.

"I'm okay." He said quietly. "It's just uh...e-easier to...sign." He had a slightly hard time finding his words, having been a while without vocalizing his thoughts. Astrid nodded in understanding, before taking his other hand and standing at his side.

"What do you say we head to the pool together?" Astrid asked joyfully. Hiccup chuckled at her enthusiasm. "Um...i-it's gonna be hard with my leg." He said with a little more elevation in his voice. Astrid insisted she'd help him, and with that in mind Hiccup found it much easier to attend the event without worry.

The pool was a slightly new concept for Hiccup. He'd never really learned how to swim, and found it hard to stand in the water with only one leg in tact. His prosthetic had to lay on the edge of the pool so it didn't get rusted. In result, Astrid had to help her friend in and out of the water.

Despite the slight division Hiccup felt from the other kids he knew do to the fact that many other teens found it easier to swim than him and could get around on their own, the boy still had fun and enjoyed spending his day with Astrid. At 7:00, every member of the camp was told to get out of the pool, dry off, get changed and prepare for dinner.

* * *

Once dinner was eaten and everyone had had their fun playing different field with the camp leaders and each other, it was time for bed. Cabins were separated by gender, so Hiccup and Astrid had to say goodbye for the night. There were a few problems that came with being separated from his friend, and sleeping in a cabin with strangers.

Once might say without Astrid, his parents, teachers, or Toothless at his side, young Hiccup Haddock had to take this camp experience as a lesson. A lesson which taught him how to walk on his own. No other members of the cabin understood his stutter other than the leaders. With how many people there were, it was a bit hard for the volunteers to manage reading Hiccup's sign language, help him with his phantom pains, and help the boy relax despite his back pain that came as a result of his scoliosis. The volunteers, leaders, and older campers did take care of him of course, but there were many instances during the night where Hiccup had to manage himself. This wasn't necessarily a bad thing. The boy regained much knowledge of different life-skills that had been pushed to the back of his mind over the years. He earned his independence.

* * *

The next day once every camper woke up around 8:00 to get ready for the day, Hiccup headed to breakfast at 8:30 and was beyond happy to see Astrid in the same crowd he was. The young Hofferson greeted her friend with a smile, before asking one of the leaders if she could take a small break to sit and chat with Hiccup while they ate.

As Hiccup worked away at his food, Astrid explained that once breakfast was over they'd be doing camp orientation where the young Haddock would hand his medication to the authorities in the camp and they'd do a small examination to check his physical status. Once that was done, Hiccup was excited to hear that they'd be going to the Lagoon adventure amusement park which had rides of all kinds.

After Orientation was done every camper headed to the amusement park. Different campers divided into different groups. Hiccup and Astrid decided to ride together, and were told they could so long as they were back for lunch at 12:30.

Hiccup and Astrid had fun riding many different rides. They sad side by side on a few smaller roller coasters, and the young Hofferson girl somehow managed to push her friend into riding a couple of much larger ones. Hiccup wasn't exactly one who one would say was afraid of heights, but one thing he definitely did not like was stress on his body. A small limp formed in his left leg.

"Are you okay?" Astrid asked once she'd noticed Hiccup's limp. The duo sat down on a bench, holding each other's hands as it seemed to come naturally. Hiccup looked into the baby blue eyes of his friend, and knew deep down that he could never hide anything from her.

"I-I...my leg just uh..." Astrid smiled warmly, understanding where this was going. She had spent many days with her friend once he'd lost his leg, and knew that Hiccup often experienced different pains in the amputation site. It was natural for him to have these.

"I get it. What if we go on one of the less stressful rides? You can take off your leg and I'll put it beside the gate." Hiccup raised an eyebrow, confused as to how his friend came up with such an idea. It did kind of make sense, but there were quite a few flaws in his point of view.

 **Astrid...there are many people who don't like seeing someone without a leg. I've had young kids afraid of the stump many times. I've even had adults tell me so. What if the people running the ride don't want to let you set my prosthetic elsewhere?**

Astrid frowned at the idea of what her friend was telling her through sign language. She scowled and a small hint of anger was in her tone when she spoke. "If they tell me I can't put your prosthetic down at the gate I have the argument that I've seen many parents and kids take off their shoes before riding. We can ride something like the swinging rides. People take off their shoes all the time on those."

Hiccup sighed. "A leg is different from a shoe A-Astrid." He whispered, still holding the girl's hand. Astrid smiled warmly again and made him look at her.

"Hiccup...you may be different for having a prosthetic, but it's still your leg. It's a part of you. If anyone wants to make fun of you, or treat you differently, just tell them that. Like every man has a head you have a leg. Sure yours works differently, but it's still you. A necessity for you to walk around and get from place to place. If anyone cares about you-which they should because you're a human just like the rest of us-then they should care about every part of you. If someone gets upset with you for your prosthetic, then it's them who needs to change."

Hiccup smiled at the confidence in his friend's voice, and quickly wrapped his arms around Astrid in a hug. "Thank you Astrid. I honestly don't know what I'd do without you." Astrid smiled and hugged her friend tighter.

"The feeling is the same both ways Hiccup. Trust me." With that the duo headed to their next ride, prepared for whatever might come there way.

* * *

Once everyone was done at the amusement park, they all had dinner at the restaurant Chuck a Rama. The buffet had many different foods to choose from, and Hiccup sat with a group of kids his age. There were four total people at his table, all boys. Three of them including himself had NF type one. The other was quiet so they didn't quite know his story. In the end, Hiccup wound up learning that both boys-one with a prosthetic leg as well-had very similar stories to his. The oldest one in the group by a few months had a learning disability and an IEP in school. The other had a stutter like Hiccup, but overall was quite intelligent, and rather than a school program had friends who helped him with his work. Sure enough he actually lived just a city down from Hiccup himself. The boy logged them both in his address "friends" book.

Dinner ended and Hiccup had a much easier time getting around the cabins than he had the first night. He knew two boys there after all, and had learned the names of every camp leader. The boy snuggled into the blankets on his bunk, and thanks to Astrid didn't feel nearly as self-conscious about his leg. This made it easy for him to set the prosthetic beside the bed regardless of what other people might've thought at the sight of his stump. What truly warmed inside was when his new friend did the same thing at the same time, smiling at Hiccup all the while. This seemed like it would no doubt be a great camp vacation.

* * *

As Hiccup and his fellow campers got ready for another exciting day at camp today was field games and Seven Peaks Water park as well as the Salt Lake Bee's baseball game later that night. After filling breakfast it was off to field games which includes kickball and some team building exercises, then it was time to change into swimsuits for the water park and even though Hiccup had never been on a waterside in his life he had a fried and Astrid who could go down with him on a double or a three person tube if he was to scared to go alone.

After going down a few times and taking a trip down the lazy river it was time for lunch. Hiccup and his fellow campers as well as the counselors were given two vouchers before they entered the water park. One was for the inner tubes and the other one was for a meal that he could chose from a hot dog, pizza slice, or a cheeseburger with chips of his choice and a medium soda. Hiccup choice was a hotshot with a bag of Doritos and his choice of soda was lemonade. After lunch was more fun on the slides and in the wave pool until he got tired of swimming and he brought with him in his towel bag was change of clothes so he told Astrid that he was going to change in the bathroom once he done he heads back to the pavilion that the camp have reserved for them then it was time to head back to Camp K **AN: (camp K is what we call Camp Kostopoulo).**

Dinner was good it was like a deconstructed pot pie. Ir was so good he went for seconds once he was able to. Once diner was done it was time to head to the baseball game. Hiccup could not wait to go to a baseball game. He had watched a few game on TV with his dad when he was home and with Gobber when he babysat him. As the Camp K vans pull up to the stadium Hiccup couldn't believe how big it was and once they got to their seats he was next to Astrid and another camper who also had a leg amputated. As they talk before the game started he was at the edge of his seat. As the game started it was exhilarating for him seeing the fast past action of the game in person and even though they couldn't stay for the full game it was still exciting just to go to the game.

As the campers headed back to camp for bedtime Hiccup could go to bed with a smile on his face remembering everything that he had done today. He stepped outside his comfort zone with the water park and experienced something new with the baseball game and as he fell asleep he could see himself coming back next year if this was the amount of fun he would have.

* * *

It was now the fourth day at Camp K, and Hiccup could no doubt say things were getting more fun and easy to handle. For example, there was the next activity the campers were attending. They were separated into groups to go canoeing.

Did Hiccup make some mistakes and mix ups? Of course. He'd never done camp activities like this before after all. What made him happy though was the fact that the different kids he got completely _soaked_ while cannoning were the friends he'd made the other day at Chuck a Rama. Some of them were a bit annoyed, but overall simply laughed off the ordeal, knowing their new found friend wasn't used to these kinds of things. Hiccup could no doubt say he got positive results for deciding to truly socialize for the first time in forever.

The next activity of the day was going to the Hogle zoo. Hiccup was a little disappointed that he couldn't spend much time with Astrid because she'd been asked to walk with another group of campers who didn't know their way around and didn't have enough volunteers helping them, but his disappointment was soon replaced by joy when some of the peers in his cabin offered to let him join their group.

Hiccup could no doubt say the trip to the zoo was fun. Not only did he get to experience the sights of many different animals, but he made even more new friends along the way. One girl wasn't even from his camp, but rather a teenager two years younger than himself taking pictures of the animals with her parents. She was interested in her new found friend's story, like how he got his prosthetic leg, and her parents were interested in how much Hiccup and those of his friends who were comfortable sharing their stories and struggles had overcome. A new wave of emotions ran through Hiccup when he realized he had been _inspiring_ people. He'd never believed that anything so nice could come out of the diagnosis which had left him on many medications and with numerous painful days. It really seemed like perspective a keen role in seeing the world.

* * *

Day five at camp didn't require as much traveling as day four. What Hiccup was surprised to know was that another activity at camp today would be horseback riding.

Having never dealt with a horse in his life, Hiccup was surprised to see the big black colored animal looking down at him a little suspiciously once he'd entered the stables. One of the camp volunteers was next to him, having been told the boy had never worked with the animals before.

"You can touch him Hiccup." The woman standing next to the boy said in a quiet voice, not wanting to take the horses attention away from it's rider. Hiccup didn't look at her, instead keeping his gaze on the tall creature standing above him. He didn't speak, but raised one slightly shaky hand to the horse's snout. He was surprised when the muzzle touched his hand and a happy sound escaped the mammal.

A laugh Hiccup hadn't used in a while escaped his lips. It was loud and high pitched, not hidden or fake. He moved his hand down to the horse's neck, brushing it's main with his fingers. When he was allowed to, he chanced his luck and brushed out the fur with a brush after requesting to do so. Once that was finished, he was helped into the saddle.

Hiccup swayed a bit in the saddle of the horse. It felt odd not being on the ground nor strapped in like on the roller coasters he and Astrid had went on. He could feel the warmth of the horse beneath him, and rather than holding the reins found himself clutching the animals main for better balance. A smiling camp counselor stood on either side of him for support.

"You're doing okay Hiccup. Just let yourself get used to the feeling. We're holding him steady." Hiccup nodded with a nervous smile, moving his hands back to the saddle and finally to the reins. After he was comfortable he was able to ride, and found the experience both new, exciting, and overall in the end relaxing. The feeling of being one with the creature beneath him and the wind in his hair was quite the experience, and he was beyond happy to know he had support from the counselors around him. Eventually he was able to go ride with his more experienced friends.

After the day was over and Hiccup had taken a much needed shower thanks to the sweat he'd gained riding, it was much easier to fall asleep than it had been previous nights. What events would tomorrow hold? He wondered.

* * *

Today was the last full day of camp and hiccup couldn't believe how fast the time had fly by and that he will be home by the end of the day but enough of sad thoughts today was an exacting today was survivor day and according to his peres who have been here before that survivor day is a fun team competition against his fellow campers.

So after breakfast Hiccup and his fellow campers were broken off into four teams red, blue, purple, and green and hiccups team color was purple and the first challenge was create a team name and baner, Hiccup's team name was chromosome 17 though another team sorta copy them and did the 17th chromosome. Their first clue lead them up to the low ropes course for an activity called the giants thumb in where they had to get the tire over the log (IE the giants thumb) without the tire touching it and if it touches it they have to start over. They got past it by having some of them on the ground passing the tire up to three of them who had someone on their shoulders.

Their next clue led them to the pavilion where they eat most of their meals in a challenge called crossroads in where they split up into two linens and the objective for each line to be opposite to where they started but you can only move to one square at a time and there is a certain way do do this but they couldn't figure it out how to do it so they had to move onto the next station witch was back at the low ropes course for an activity called the singing whale this challenge entailed distribute their weight on both ends so both ends are balance and have to hold it for thirty seconds. Their next clue lead them to outside the equestrian building and it was the human knot with rope. Where have your own rope in one hand and someone else's who is across from you, but there was a twist three people were blindfolded and in the end Hiccup's team was able to detangle themselves, then it was lunch time then it was rest time as survivor day was coming to and end with the last few challenges with fishing and a small kickball tournament and all teams miss one challenge due to time constraints.

Before diner they were treated with a doctor(s) who were experts on NF for any question they might have. At first it was slow going with the questions but soon the questions left and right and other campers put their own inputs on the questions and Hiccup has some new information on how to treat his migraines with essential oils. As the doctor visited ended diner started as hiccup got the names and numbers of his teammates in his address book it was time the skis/ award show during the day some of the camp counselors ask if they wanted to do something for the talents show and fist Hiccup was unsure if wanted to do something but he was fortunate enough that one of the more experiences camper agreed to something with him.

It was finally to announce who won survivor day, and it was close between Hiccup's team and the team who sorta copy their name but in the end hiccup and his team reign supreme and their prize was a big bag of mars candy. And it was time for the skis and the award show and to make it more memorable. for Hiccup because his parents, his adoptive brother fishlegs and his service dog/ best friend toothless was to watch this. As the award show went on hiccup got the most out going for breaking out of his shell and making new friends even though was shy, the skit that he did with and older camper was sign the national anthem. Soon the talent show was over and now it was time for hiccup to pack up and head back home as he heads back to his cabin with his family he starts torse reflect on his week at camp, although he was sad about it he was glad he came here and knowing that he is not alone in the world he now has friends who share the same struggles makes him feel that he can do anything now.

* * *

Once back home young Hiccup Haddock reflect back on his memories of camp K. He knew he'd probably be back next year. What mattered right now though was hanging out with his friends and family using the new skills he'd learned at the camp. With new friends, inspiration, and memories for his dreams, Hiccup knew he was starting to make his way down the path of growing into a successful young adult. What adventures would the future hold?

 **(A/N) We would like to give you information about the inspiration behind this chapter...**

 **The Kostopulos Dream Foundation is a real thing dedicated to those affected by NF. The mission and goal of the foundation is dedicated to improving the lives of people of all abilities through education, recreation, and growth opportunities for individuals of ALL ages and abilities. Their goal is to make their services available to all people, regardless or ability level, income, or place of residence.**

 **As far as the camp goes, NF camp is the annual summer camp of the children's tumor foundation, dedicated to teens and young adults living with Neurofibromatosis (NF). For over 20 years they have hosted this week long experience for teens and young adults ages 12-25. NF camp takes place on the third or fourth week of July (6 nights/6 days) In salt lake city, Utah. NF camp is not just about the fun-filled activities, it is a chance to make lasting friendships with other people who understand what it's like to be a young person with NF.**


	30. Apprentice part 1

**(A/N) The first part of this chapter was written by pandamaster97720, second part by me. I know it's kind of short, but please enjoy!**

As fall starts to reel its head and school starts up again from Hiccup's exciting summer vacation going to NF camp and meeting new friends that he plans to keep in touch with throughout the year, keeping to his promise to his mother he will keep up his grades while working as Gobber's apprentices in his forge. The adults had a system in place first before Hiccup would even start working. His homework would have to be done or if he has a little left to do, then he would finish it and then he would be able to start working with his Godfather Gobber.

On fifteen year old Hiccup Haddock's first day of working with Gobber the man went over all safety regulations that came with working in a forge alone with all the tools that they would potentially be using once Hiccup got more comfortable in the work environment. As the weeks progressed, Hiccup became more comfortable and more confident. His skills began improving and it's also showing in his school work he is more confident. The boy began finding it easier making friends and be more outgoing with the friends he already had as well.

* * *

"So...what are we going to start with?" Hiccup asked his mentor, Gobber, as he sat on a bench working on his homework. His mother had allowed him to go to the forge and start learning with his Godfather as long as he did his homework while he was there.

"I was figuring we could start with simple lessons Hiccup. Before you actually start working on your sells, you have to learn about what tools do what and your safety precautions. I'll teach ya all about it once you're done with that algebra of yours." Hiccup groaned in annoyance, writing the answer to the fifth question out of twenty. He also had a science project to work on. It was do by Friday, so he had a few days. Right now he was just getting the basic outline done on line. Once that was done with, he actually start _working_ with Gobber. Toothless kept an eye on his owner, making sure to bark or whine if Hiccup started dozing or daydreaming.

"I-I get it." Hiccup said, a bit better with his stutter but not quite. The verbal quirk tended to show itself most when he was stressed or upset nowadays. His friend Astrid had once commented that she always knew if he was mad because he'd stutter or make an odd whining sound in the back of his throat. The boy had found himself blushing, unable to figure out the reason behind his self-consciousness around the girl he'd known since he was three.

* * *

After Hiccup had _finally_ finished his homework, he stood beside Gobber at a shelf covered in different tools. The boy watched in interest as his mentor went over different tools and how to use them. He gave Hiccup a paper to go over for the next few days stating how to handle certain situations in a safety emergency such as fire or wounds. Gobber explained what the first few things they'd actually start working on were, and when they would be making them.

Hiccup was a little disappointed to learn that he'd have to learn all the safety precautions and where his boundaries were before he was actually allowed to forge any weapons, but he was happy to have such an opportunity to work on something he found interesting. With Toothless at his side the boy sat on the same bench he had been before and constantly switched between reading the stapled papers his new mentor had given him and watching said mentor forge different decorative weapons for different customers.

Once Gobber had gotten most of his orders for the day done, he decided to teach his apprentice how to use the cash register and great customers knowing people wouldn't be coming in so quickly at this hour. The boy having an intelligence level he was simply not interested in expressing but was there picked up on the tasks he was given quickly. He didn't take any orders that day, but knew he would soon.

For the next few hours he had before he had to go home, Hiccup continued studying for his new job and worked a little more on his science project a well. Hours went by and eventually it was time for him to go home with his mother who showed up in her small car.

"Hey Hiccup! You have a good day with Gobber?" Valka asked her son with a gentle smile. Hiccup hopped up from his seat and sped to his mother, wrapping his thin arms around her in a hug. "It was fun." He stated simply, proud of himself for not stuttering despite the current excitement he currently experienced which tended to play a role in his speech difficulty. Valka looked up at Gobber who winked at her, silently saying it'd been a good day. The mother was happy to later learn that this also meant her son had gotten all of his homework done.

* * *

Once Hiccup and his mother arrived home, the boy was happy to learn that his father was off work for the night. With a smile he quickly ran to Stoick who-being the strong and much larger man he was-managed to lift his fifteen year old growing son into his arms with a hearty laugh. Toothless barked in joy, having a soft spot for the man. Valka smiled warmly, happy to see her son interact with his father for the first time in a little while.

"Dad!" Hiccup cried out once he was set down and his father hugged him normally. The man smiled down at his son, knowing that he was gone far too often to make money for the family. The boy was going through so much in these years of his life, and needed a father to help him through it. Alas, the money needed family and Valka's work with special needs children didn't earn much as it was mostly a volunteer job.

Once Hiccup had calmed down after getting to see his father again, the family sat on the couch and ate dinner while watching a movie. So long as they were together, everything would be fine in the end even if Stoick _did_ have to go away to a risky job as a police chief and business man fairly often. Hiccup constantly found himself worrying for his dad but admiring the man for his selflessness at the same time. He could never imagine what the future would hold.


	31. Apprentice part 2

**(A/N) First half of this chapter is written by pandamaster97720, second half by me plasmasnow. Please do not ask questions about who the new character is as we will reveal him in later chapters. Enjoy! Please leave a review and don't take the shorter length of this chapter (851 words without the A/N) to heart as it was just a quick idea.**

It had been a year since he started his apprenticeship and learned the ropes at his godfathers forge and now Hiccup had become a a full time employee. Gobber is more to Hiccup though. Not only is he his godfather and boss, but turns out that Gobber had a degree in teaching special educations witch seemed to work well for Hiccup being that he was so comfortable with Gobber.

Usually after or before class they discus the work schedule at the forge. Hiccup was glad that Gobber allowed Toothless to be with them at the forge. As things would turn out, Toothless had become a big helper in the forge. He'd grab tools that Hiccup needed while working on a project. Hiccup knew that Gobber didn't overly pester him with questions asking him if he's okay during school but would check on him occasionally check to see how he was doing and if he's in any pain. A mentor, Godfather, role model, and amazing teacher.

On one sunny Sunday morning Hiccup was sitting at the front counter working on some homework during a bit of a slow period until an older looking gentleman came up to the counter and got his attention. Hiccup greeted him, "Hello and welcome Gobber's Metal works. What can i do for you?"

As the man responded to him, "Hello," after stopping to look at his name tag "Hiccup i am looking to have a usable recreation Knife from the Vietnam war era."

As Hiccup started to take notes while talking about the order he asked few more questions on the specs of the design and the case and the handle for it as well as the name for the order witch was Agnar. He asked when the man wanted it by, Hiccup ran the order to Gobber. To his surprise, he let Hiccup take the order. This would be his first order that he would do by himself.

After a quick research about military knives during the Vietnam war Hiccup had a general idea on what it was going to look like and with what Agnar told him on what he wanted to be put into the knife he started to get to work. First thing he did was sketch out the design and the dimensions of the knife, then he started getting the right metals and started to heat it up to soften it to make it easier to shape into the knife. Once the metal was ready Hiccup began to shape the knife to the correct dimensions that Agnar gave him. Now he could start to work the metal into the right shape starting with the press and hammering on the anvil once its at desire length then its of to the quench and heat treatment, after that it came time to remove any imperfections on the grinder as well as sharpen it and getting the materials that Agnar wanted for the handle and the case. For the handle he wanted an oak handle and a leather case that could be attached to his pants.

* * *

After hours of his work, Hiccup smiled when his first customer entered the shop to pick up his knife. The man looked at the thin boy with an approving smile. He grabbed the knife and inspected it carefully, sighing in relief when he saw it was just how he wanted it.

"You have a good workmen's hand Hiccup. Have you been doing this for a while?" Hiccup looked down and blushed at the compliment. "Been at it for a year now. Gobber here has been teaching me how to forge since I was fifteen." Agnar smiled.

"It takes a lot for a boy your age to be so dedicated. The patience it would take as an apprentice must be hard to handle." Hiccup nodded his head, blushing deeper. "Well actually...I don't really hang around my friends much. It's easier for me to stay home and do my schoolwork. This here shop is one of a the few ways I can get out and around." The man nodded in understanding, looking down at Hiccup's prosthetic leg which was visible beneath his rolled up leggings.

"You've got battle wounds?" Agnar asked, gesturing to the boy's leg with the knife. Hiccup nodded, looking down. "Don't we all?" The older man smiled. He liked this kid.

"Well, it was nice talking to you Hiccup, but I've got a wife and daughter to get home to. Hope to cross paths with you again." Hiccup smiled and nodded, agreeing with his first and likely nicest customer. The fact that Agnar asked the questions he did in a way that complimented the boy despite his disabilities made him feel warm inside.

"You know him?" Gobber asked, stepping beside his apprentice at the cash register. Hiccup shook his head. "No...but I think I'd like to." The older blacksmith smiled. He knew the boy and Agnar would be crossing paths again no doubt. After all...he was the father of a friend.


	32. A chieftain, a father, a friend

**(A/N) The first half of this is written by me, second half by pandamaster97720. There is a warning for mild gore and character death in this chapter. You have been warned!**

"Hey Oswald! I need you to help me with these papers!" Stoick shouted in a powerful voice to his co-worker and father to his wife's older children. Oswald nodded, not wanting to upset the other man in the room as he had a lot going for him with this job. With a light heart, not expecting anything other than another busy work day, both men began going through their papers for their business.

Suddenly, a loud banging on the metal door to their office was heard. Not thinking much of it, Stoick walked to the door and grabbed the nob, expecting another impatient co-worker to be needing something. What surprised him was when he got closer to the door and the knocking became more aggressive. Having the natural instinct of a chief of police, the man stood defensively and instructed Oswald to have a phone ready.

"Who needs my assistance?" Stoick asked in a gruff voice. There was a silence, then a chuckle. "I told you years ago we'd be back for revenge _chief._ " Stoick's eyes widened and he held out his hand to Oswald who tossed him his phone. The man sent a message to the police station, telling them to hurry and get everyone out of the building.

Drago Bludvist was a madman without conscience or mercy. If he was armed inside of the business building and seeking revenge, Gods help them all. Years ago he'd been fired from the police department for misusing their weapons and threatening the other officers. Now...it seemed he wanted to get Stoick back for getting him fired years ago.

"Drago...lets think this through." Stoick tried to counsel the man to calm him down. He knew deep down it would never work, but hoped to stall the man outside until the police arrived. Another man chuckled outside the door, one Stoick didn't recognize.

"I have others with me Stoick. Meet my new alliance, Krogan. You know our names and know our plans. We can't allow you to leave here alive." Somehow Stoick _knew_ he wouldn't be living to see another day. Deep down he knew how Drago was and knew that even though he called the police and likely saved everyone else in the building who hadn't been shot along the way of getting to the office, his life wouldn't be saved. This would end in bloodshed, and the Haddock man had no gun.

"Oswald...I want you to run out this door the second I open it alright? That's an order." Oswald's eyes widened and he lay a beefy hand on his friend and co-worker's shoulder. "What about you sir?" Stoick sighed and took his friend's hand, looking him in the eye seriously. "You go and warn the other's in the building. _I'_ _m_ the man Drago wants, and he's gonna get me." Oswald somehow knew how this was going to go down, he was a logical man. Still, he obeyed his friend's wishes to die nobly. He had to let his friend know the consequences that would follow though.

"If you give up like this to save me and your people Stoick-and I respect your decision to die a hero-you need to remember before making the decision that you have a wife and disabled son who will both be affected." The banging on the door got louder and a dent was made. Stoick sighed.

"My son will understand, and my wife is strong. They knew there was a chance of this happening one day do to me being an officer. If you see them again, tell them I love them." Stoick said nothing more as he kicked the door open, hitting Drago in the face. Oswald ran to warn everyone else about the intruders while Stoick grabbed his enemy by the neck and pinned him down. Unfortunately...Krogan was still able to grab Oswald and pin him to the wall.

"No! Oswald!" Stoick let go of Drago and slammed every ounce of his body weight into Krogan. Oswald was sent rolling and a bullet quickly pierced his friend in the neck, severing the artery there. Stoick fell to the ground as blood covered his fur cape. Oswald froze at the sight, before running once more. Unfortunately the hesitance he took to look at his dying friend was all it took for a bullet to pierce him as well, killing him instantly as it went through the skin of his temple.

Stoick sucked in a heavy breath, glaring at Drago who stood above him. "You will pay for your crimes." He said with a cough. Drago went wide eyed as police sirens began blaring outside and an officer spoke at the end of the hallway. They'd been caught.

Stoick closed his eyes and went pale as two paramedics tried to stop his bleeding. He let out a sigh as he died. "Hiccup." He whispered in his last breath.

* * *

Hiccup didn't really know what to think as he sat in his class with a pencil in hand when a sudden sharp pain pierced his chest. He requested to use the restroom and the teacher let him. Once he was in a stall he held his hand over his heart. What was happening?

Then he heard it...a whisper in his ear. Not knowing who or what had whispered to him, and guessing his mind was playing tricks on him because of the sudden pain in his chest, he stood on wobbly legs and went to class with Toothless at his side.

* * *

It was a typical day at Defender City High for Hiccup. While the boy was glad to spend time with his father before, Stoick had to head back to his old hometown for work. All day something was nagging him in the back of the head that something bad was going to happen to his father, but he couldn't quite place it so he just ignored it. As the school day drag on, Hiccup didn't know that when he saw his father a few days ago...it would be the last memory he'd have with the man. It was nearing lunch and Hiccup was planning to eat lunch not only with his friends but his half-siblings. It was this hour that would change not only Hiccup's but Dagur and Heather's lives forever.

Lunch continued on when out of nowhere the school principal came in to the cafeteria. What confused the kids was why she came down to the cafeteria. As she approached Hiccup's table she asked for the boy, Dagur, and Heather to come with her. As they grab their backpacks and start to head to the main office, they entered the office and saw that their mother Valka was there. Hiccup asked her, "Mom?" as he looks confused "Why are you here?"

Valka told them all to sit down as they did. Once they were all situated in the chairs in the office she told them, "You may know that your father Heather and Dagur wanted to start a business so he came to Hiccup's dad." as the kids nodded their heads yes Valka "But something went wrong during their meeting. Someone who used to work with Hiccup's dad Stoick within the police force wanted to work for him. He goes by the name Drago Bludvist. Stoick got him fired for disorderly conduct for misuse of police equipment and resources. He stormed your father's office with his partner Krogan, Stoick saved your father heather and Dagur, but Oswald was soon killed after. Thankfully your father Hiccup got an SOS message to his co-workers at the police station. They got there as soon as they could to arrest Drago, sadly not quick enough to arrest Krogan, but they were too late to save your father Hiccup as well as Dagur and your sister's father Oswald."

As the news hit them hard the tears started to fall hard and fast. Hiccup sat up and hug his mother hard as he sobbed hard into her chest. Valka return the hug and looked at her two other children from her previous relationship with Oswald. Both Dagur and Heather were visibly shocked by the news, and she pulled them into a hug with Hiccup. All three siblings embraced the hug as they all cried in the office, not caring about who was watching them. For them, now is a time for mourning.

 **(A/N) Yeah, yeah we're awful for killing the man who Hiccup just reunited with and had such a fun time with two chapters ago. I'll let you know this death was necessary to the rest of the plot line though. Anyways, until next time fellow dragon riders, why don't you leave a review and prepare for the funeral! *dodges flames thrown at me for the dark idea behind this chapter* No flames please!**


	33. The funeral

**(A/N) Some of this is by me, some by pandamaster9772. It's really mixed up in this one, no half and half.**

It was a dark and gloomy as well as rainy day at Defender City cemetery where there stood two families, the Haddock, Ingermans, and the Berserks. The two families stood before two graves without a dry eye among them. both families had viking roots so it was decided that both funerals would have a mix of modern and a traditional viking funeral. They knew that they couldn't do an actual burial boat but they could bury them with their jewelry and some of their value possessions and the traditional prayer that they used to send off fallen warriors.

Drago had been sent to trial and with the help of witnesses sent to prison. Stoick's fellow policemen were devastated to hear of the noble death of their leader who had died in vain as his friend was killed. Most of them agreed to attend the funeral, bringing some of his pictures from work to place at his grave.

As Gobber stood before them and started the pray, Hiccup stood by his mother with her hand held tightly in his. A single tear ran down his cheek and his half-siblings held each other close a few seats down, isolating themselves. Fishlegs may not have been able to see or really hear everything going on, but as he sat next to his adoptive mother with Toothless held in his lap grieved the loss of his other adoptive parent.

"May the Valkyries welcome you, and lead through Odin's great battlefield. May they sing your names with love and fury, so we might hear it rise from the depths of Valhalla, and know that you've have taken your rightful place at the table of kings. For great men had fallen a warrior, a chieftain, fathers..." The man trailed off for a second, having to compose himself as he prayed for his closest... "..a friend."

As the funeral went on and everyone began saying their last goodbye's to the men they once knew, Hiccup couldn't make himself move. Everything seemed so dark. His siblings had lost someone too, and he felt bad for them having known the feeling. He held his mother's hand tightly, gritting his teeth.

"Hiccup..." Valka began to ask, seeing her son look down and yank his hand away from her. "I-It's not fair." The 16 year old stated. His mother lay a hand on his shoulder, causing the boy to look up with saddened, almost angry eyes.

"He-he's always th-there mom!" Hiccup stated rather loudly in a stutter, not caring if other people looked. He seemed in distress. "H-he carries m-me when I c-can't walk. H-he helps y-you get me t-to the h-hospital. Wh-why did he h-have to d-die saving s-someone e-else?! I-I'm never going t-to get t-to tell him h-how proud of...uh...o-of him I a-am." He tripped over his words, seeming to take steps back once again in his speech.

Valka knew her son had been through so much. Just as he was beginning to socialize he lost his leg. Once he began talking again he lost his dad. What was to come next? She just wished peace for him. For her family.

"Hiccup...I-I know this is a lot for you." Valka stated with a cracked voice. Hiccup began looking worried for her. "I wish you had a peaceful life. This isn't fair for _any_ of us." A tear ran down her cheek. "But...we just have to get through. Your father died a hero. He did what he wanted with his life. You need to accept that this is what he wanted. He wanted justice to be dealt to Drago and he always wanted to be a hero. Nothing was ever enough for him. He wouldn't stop until he was the man he knew he could be. Now he is...he died the man he wanted to be."

The mother held her hand to her heart, tears flowing freely. "Go tell him my boy. Tell him you're proud of him." Hiccup bit his tongue and shook his head. His mother nudged his back, encouraging him to walk forward. He did as requested, and stood by his father's casket, tears making their way down his face. The boy's thin legs felt week and he fell on his knees. Dagur and Heather immediately ran forward, kneeling at both of his sides with a hand on his shoulders.

"I'm proud of you dad. I wish you didn't have to go, but I'm proud of you for being a h-hero. Th-thank you. I love you." Hiccup whispered, pulling at the grass at his knees. Heather and Dagur looked at each other, before saying the same thing to their father. The three returned to the crowd, hands held tightly.

As the caskets started to lower into the ground Hiccup began to wonder what was going to happen to his half-siblings Heather and Dagur. He asked Valka, "Mom? What's going to happen to Heather and Dagur?"

She responded to him while looking sadly at her two other children, "I don't know Hiccup, but one possibility is that I can apply for guardianship of them since they are technically my children by blood. They would always have a home to come to." This made Hiccup feel better knowing that he wouldn't lose his siblings even though they are only half-siblings.

As the day progressed, both Heather and Dagur collected their belongings from their home and started to move into Hiccup's home. Later on they turned Stoick's old office into a bedroom for Heather, and one of the guest bedrooms into a room for Dagur. Even though the funeral was a sad concept as they mourned the loss of both of their fathers, is was a day for them to grow closer as family.


	34. First date

**(A/N) This chapter was once again a collaboration between pandamaster97720 and I. No half-and-half, just mashed up together. Hope you enjoy, and expect lots of Hiccstrid in this one.**

It was a typical day at Defender City High School and only a few months since the death of Hiccup's father and the father of his half-siblings. It was almost their Easter break as it was this coming weekend, and he was nervous for he was about to do something that was totally new for him. On this day Hiccup Haddock would be asking his childhood best friend on a date.

Naturally, Hiccup had went to his mother for advice on asking Astrid on a date due to his father not being around. Valka had insisted he ask her after school and thought the date should be held at the Haddock house over the weekend. Her son had agreed and said he'd ask Astrid if that's what she would want. That is...if she said "yes".

All day the young Haddock was nervous. He had no idea how to ask a girl on a date. Should he sign to her? Should he speak even if he was likely to stutter? What would Astrid enjoy on a date? Would she like dinner or rather something like a movie? So many thoughts ran through Hiccup's head all day and he blushed anytime he saw the Hofferson. The worst part was his teachers noticed and constantly asked him if he was okay.

As the day came to an end after their study hall and they were heading out of the school Hiccup asked Astrid if he could talk with her about something important. As the nervous sweat started to form on his hands he asked with not only his voice but in sign language as well, " **Astrid, I know that we have been friends for a long time and for the longest time I have felt something more than just friendship and i was wondering if this coming weekend...would you like to go on a date with me?"** The Hofferson girl was taken back by this because she never thought that Hiccup might feel the same way she did. Astrid quickly agreed, and they started to plan what they wanted to do. After a while they finally decided on a How to train your dragon movie/TV marathon.

As the weekend fast approached them hiccup was preparing for his date by getting snacks and drinks for their marathon. Valka could understand how nervous he was for his date with Astrid. she was nervous for her first date with his father Stoick. Astrid arrived at their agreed time of eight in the morning. The couple got settled in on the large couch in Hiccup's house with the drinks and snacks laid out on the table. They decided to watch the HTTYD series in chronological order starting with the first movie and working through the HTTYD timeline. The day couldn't have worked out better because once they got settled in a thunderstorm broke out.

Thunder roared outside but the young couple were okay with it. They sat watching the movie with smiles on their faces. Hiccup allowed Astrid to rest against him while his fingers ran through her blonde braid. The girl had worn her blue pajamas over, planning on spending the night like she usually did.

As rain fell and heavy winds blew outside, Hiccup heard his girlfriend yawn. Girlfriend..that's a term he'd have to get used to. The thought made butterflies move around in his stomach and a blush crept up his cheeks when it crossed his mind every now and again. Astrid noticed this and chuckled to herself, not saying anything.

As the duo got more and more tired, Hiccup looked down at the girl in his arms. At that exact same moment Astrid looked up at him as well and their eyes met. Valka appeared in the room to make sure they were okay, but froze when she saw the sight. Was it going to happen? She thought.

"Um...I-I don't quite kn-know what I'm supposed to-mmph!" Hiccup was cut off when Astrid grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled his lips down to hers. He froze for a second, but soon relaxed into the kiss. Valka had to cover her mouth with her hands to keep from gasping, and decided to leave the duo alone. They were almost 17 and needed their privacy. She knew she could trust her son not to pull anything and so was confident in leaving him and his dog alone with his girlfriend.

Once Hiccup and Astrid pulled away from each other they were blushing madly. "S-so I uh...we should finish watching the movie." Astrid stuttered. Hiccup couldn't believe what he was hearing! Astrid Hofferson was _never_ shy. None the less, he found the scene cute and admirable. With a nod he leaned back, taking off his prosthetic in the process. Soon the last season of "Defenders of Berk" was over and they switched to Netflix where they could watch "Race to the edge" season one.

It was during race to the edge that the Hiccup and Astrid were starting to fall asleep against one another, just like they had when they were children. Hiccup was laying on Astrid's lap and she was laying against the couch. Once Valka enter the living room she grabbed a blanket and draped it over them. The mother paused the TV and turned it off. She turned off the lights and let the young couple sleep like she did when they were just little kids.

Despite the occasional embarrassing moments as Hiccup knew _nothing_ about being a boyfriend, he knew that this date would be the first of many, and knew that he would love Astrid Hofferson for all of eternity. He had since they were a bit younger, just never knew it. What started as a blossoming friendship when they were three and innocent was now a romance they'd always remember.


	35. Meeting the parents

It had been an amazing year for Hiccup and Astrid. They have been taking it slow while dating because they were still kind of new to the idea of dating each other and the fact that they knew each other since they were kids. Despite hiccup losing his father he knew that he has a strong support group to help him and his half-siblings with their grief.

It was a quiet Friday afternoon as both Hiccup and Astrid decided hang out at her house after school. Hiccup knew that Astrid had been missing her father due to him being in the military and he knew it was a dangerous job just like his late father's job as a police officer. As they were talking and the TV was going off in the background Astrid's uncle Fin left the room after he received a text message. Both Astrid and Hiccup wondered why her uncle left the room and Astrid's mother looked like she was just as confused as her daughter about what was going on and why her brother-in law left the room all of a sudden.

As the sound of the front door opened as their conversation was starting to waver into nonexistent, the sound of footsteps started to enter the living room. They drew closer as Fin reentered the room with his phone out. It looked like he was recording something. Everyone heard the door opening again and the sounds of someone entering the house. The footsteps came closer and who entered the room shocked them all. None other than Agnar came into full view. He looked worse for wears but looked healthy none the less.

Both Astrid and her mother Ingrid rushed to stand up and run into Agnar's arms. They hugged Astrid's father fiercely, not wanting to let him go. There was not a dry eye between the three. As they made their way to the couch he started to explain that he was out of the military for good now due to an IED explosion during a routine patrol that injured his right leg enough to have them to amputate it.

As Hiccup watched in silence he had taken a good look at Agnar and he realized that he had seen him before when he made him that knife. It now made sense what he told him when he said that he and a wife and daughter. As Agnar finally realized that they were not alone he looked up to see Hiccup sitting not too far away from them. It took a moment to remember that Hiccup had made him the knife.

"So uh...you're a friend of my daughters?" Agnar asked Hiccup once he'd pulled away from his daughter and wife. The boy nodded with his head down, self consciously taking a step back. Astrid smiled and grabbed her father's arm.

"Actually dad...Hiccup is my _boyfriend._ " Agnar Hofferson was a bit taken back. His first instinct was to tell his daughter that she was too young for a boyfriend and that he was the only man she needed to protect her. Then he remembered his daughter was 17 and not a little girl anymore.

"I-I..." Agnar trailed off. If this was a boy with an ego and no money like Snotlout, or a Jock like the school's football player Eret son of Eret, then he'd immediately tell his daughter the boy was not good for her. Hiccup was a different case though. He had respect for authority, was always willing to help despite his disability, had battle scars like himself, had a job and attended all of his classes in school, didn't seem like the popular type who gave themselves to every pretty girl in school like some of the basketball players at Berk high, and above all seemed like a fairly innocent boy at first glance. He knew this from what his wife had told him in letters about their daughter's 'best friend'.

Self-conscious, had humility, small but sturdy, fairly built, respectful...Hiccup had many of the traits that eased a father's mind when his daughter threw the news on him that she had her first boyfriend. Agnar sighed and looked at Astrid and the boy next to her.

"No funny business has been going on correct? I suspect this is a fairly innocent relationship?" Astrid balled her fists and blushed deeply, letting out one of the signature whiny ' _Dad..'_ s. She looked like she was about to say something snarky or disrespectful to her father, but _Hiccup_ was actually the one who stood strait and spoke to the man first.

"I-I can a-assure you sir that I would _never_ push your d-daughter into something that wasn't morally accurate. That is not a decision I as a t-teenager s-should be able to make. Astrid and I have known each other since we were little actually. Your wife and my mother became friends when I-I was three. Anything that you d-do not approve of...um...a-as a parent will not happen as you are more mature do to the fact that science proves that the human brain is not fully developed until a person's mid twenties. I love Astrid and I love I-Ingrid. Your daughter is not just my girlfriend but also my _best friend._ I-I can u-understand the doubts you might have, but I hope you can understand that I could never imagine my life without Astrid. She's become too big a part of it. The relationship is innocent. We don't even date anywhere where their aren't adults. Our only date so far has been at my house while my mother was home."

Hiccup was quick to explain himself. If there was one thing he had learned from Heather's constant rants she went on about the girls she hung out with, it was that you wanted to assure the father that you were respectful. How did Heather show him this? Well do to his sister he knew very well what _not_ to do. The girl was always gossiping about how her friends were mad at their fathers because their boyfriends tried to be a little 'assertive'. In his opinion Agnar loved Astrid first, and he'd _never_ be able to meet his level in that department.

Agnar was taken back by the words Hiccup spoke. When the boy had started talking, he had expected him to throw out some 'know-it-all' ego like other boys he'd met before. He questioned somewhere in his brain why Hiccup had the stutter he did and why he would pause and seemed to have a hard time finding words as if something wasn't getting sent through right, but he was not one to judge a young man for a disability.

"I appreciate your respect." Agnar said a bit hesitantly. He would be cautious with Hiccup Haddock, yes, but at the same time this was a boy who deserved a chance. He couldn't protect his little girl forever. "I expect that you will protect my daughter and not take her anywhere without one of her parent's permission? As in dates?"

Hiccup smiled brightly and his eyes shone. He nodded in thanks. "Y-yes sir. I promise." Astrid smiled and took Hiccup's hand in hers. The boy blushed deeply when she kissed his cheek, and Agnar found himself surprised that rather than being angry about his daughter kissing a boy, he felt something lift in his chest at the sight of how bashful Hiccup was with his girlfriend. He was respectful to Astrid as a woman, there was no doubt in the world about that. Now if he was able to provide for her, Agnar would have to learn in the future. Perhaps he could take a few more looks at the boy's job.


	36. I think I love her

**(A/N) This one is a little rushed. This chapter is partially made by me, partially by pandamaster97720. No half and half, just mixed up. Enjoy!**

It had been a few months since Agnar returned home and got use to civilian life again after being in the military since he was 18 years old. Even though he was okay with his daughter dating Hiccup, he was still weary of the because he still didn't really know him. It was Hiccup who suggest that he come to his work to get to know him. So it was decided that Hiccup would show Agnar his work and that he can trust him with his daughter.

So on the next Friday of the month Hiccup took Agnar to his workplace, 'Gobber's Metal Works', after getting the okay from Gobber. Friday after school Hiccup picked him up and headed to his place of work.

During his break they decided to talk, as Agnar asked Hiccup, "So Hiccup how long have you known by daughter?"

Hiccup responded "Since we were three years old." Agnar seem to be pleased with this answer, he also asked him, "how long have you worked for this job?" Hiccup responded, "I started an apprenticeship when I was 15 then I started working full time for Gobber this past year when I turned 16." pleased with this answer he also asked him about his family to which hiccup responded " it's just me, my mother Valka, my adoptive brother Fishlegs, and my half- brother and sister Heather and Dagur, and my godfather who happens to be Gobber. Sadly I have lost my father this past year due to someone from his past wanting revenge who took his life as well as the life of my half-siblings' father."

Saying that last part in a sad and small voice, the pain was still fresh from the recent passing of his father. Agnar was shocked by this news about Hiccup's family and how unfair it was. He was also saddened about the recent passing of the boy's father.

Hiccup worked on a few projects Gobber had assigned him while speaking more about his job during his lunch break. Agnar Hofferson was pleased to learn the boy wasn't just working, but had already managed to find a good job with decent pay that he was passionate about. Most of the adults he knew couldn't even find such a thing.

"So...you and Astrid met when you were just three but only recently realized you were in love. How did that happen?" Agnar asked with an eyebrow raised. Hiccup smiled and a light blush crept up his cheeks. He looked at the man with seriousness in his eyes.

"Well sir...I actually haven't told her I love her. I try to but my words just get caught in my throat. Astrid and I...she's been my _best_ friend for most of my life so far." Hiccup smiled as he began explaining his and Astrid's story.

"Anyways, dealing with Neurofibromatosis type one hasn't been the most easy of journeys, I'll say that. Your daughter...she's made it easier. She helped me with my medications when I was ill, would play with me on the playground when I was little and no one else would, even rode in my wheelchair with me before I had my leg amputated to make me feel more normal. I know you might think this is crazy because i'm not even out of my teenage years yet, but I believe with all of my heart that Astrid Hofferson is the best thing that has ever happened to me."

As they continued to talk while Hiccup worked Agnar started to realize that the boy would be good for his daughter. When Hiccup's workday came to an end he took Agnar back home. Just before he left Agnar told him that he's okay with Hiccup dating his daughter, but if he hurt her in anyway he would regret it. Hiccup was fine with this, knowing it was what fathers did.

* * *

Hiccup entered his house with a bright smile and a bit of oil smeared on his cheek. Valka and his half siblings smiled as he sat on the couch, not caring to clean his dirty clothes or stained skin. The three other members of his family approached him.

"What's got you so cheeky?" Dagur asked with a smirk. Heather smiled too with both of her hands on her hips. Hiccup blushed and sunk back into the couch.

"Why do you guys want to know?" Hiccup asked with his blush deepening. Both of his siblings chuckled and Valka lay a hand on his shoulder. The boy looked at his mother with wide forest green eyes, knowing he couldn't hide anything from her if she didn't want him too. She could see right through his lies.

"Does this have something to do with yours and Agnar's visit?" Hiccup made a sound in the back of his throat, one that was induced by his nervousness. Of course, this sound couldn't be one of anger or fear. Nope, it was the sound that would be held over his head and make everyone in the house tease him for _weeks._

 _"Hic!"_ Hiccup hiccuped out loud. He slammed his hands over his mouth. Valka laughed and hugged her blushing son while his siblings began making jokes around his name.

"Leave him alone guys." Valka smiled down at her son who buried his face in her chest. "Are you nervous?" She asked. Hiccup looked up at her with an eyebrow raised. "Um...I guess. How did you-" "I'm your mother Hiccup. You've always hiccuped when you were nervous. That's why I told the other two not to make fun of you."

Hiccup shrugged his shoulders and pulled back from Valka. Toothless jumped onto the couch with a bark as if he could understand the conversation and wanted to know why his owner was nervous as well. He even seemed to be smirking. His owner glared at him before sighing.

"Well...I was talking to Agnar and he brought up something. I mean...I know I've been dating Astrid, and now I have the permission of her father but...I actually think it's even more than that." Hiccup looked up at his mother and siblings with a lopsided smile.

"I think I _love_ her."


	37. Junior prom

**(A/N) This one is fairly short and rushed one. I am sorry for being so slow to update. This chapter was partially written by pandamaster97720 and partially by me.**

It was a nice spring evening and it happened to be Hiccup and Astrid's Junior Prom. Weeks before Hiccup had asked Astrid to be his date for Prom as they have been dating for a few month.

As prom drew closer Hiccup was getting nervous. He had already picked out his tuxes a forest green with a black dress shirt with a red tie. As he struggled to tie his tie his older half-brother Dagur came up to him and helped him tie it as he told him, "You have nothing to be worried about brother. Tonight is going to be one of your best moments in your life as of for with your lovely girlfriend." as Hiccup blushes to what Dagur had told him he couldn't feel more relaxed at his words.

As it came time to leave Astrid came by around five. She was wearing a royal blue dress the dance wasn't until seven. "Astrid I..." Hiccup trailed off at seeing the blonde beauty in front of him. Astrid crossed her arms over her chest almost self consciously. She reached out a hand and grabbed her boyfriend by the collar of the shirt. Hiccup gasped in surprise when his girl pressed a gentle kiss to his lips. She pulled away before he could react.

After a dozen pictures from both Valka and Ingrid they left for dinner before the dance with their friend. They pulled up to Defender City High parking lot. They enter the school and headed for the gym right on time for the dance.

The drive to the dance was mostly quiet. Hiccup found the courage to take Astrid's smooth, soft hand into his roughened out sweaty one. Their fingers locked and they smiled at each other from the back seat. Agnar was the one driving them and he felt his daughter was in the right hands. Of course _he_ would always be the first one who ever loved Astrid Hofferson.

As the night went on it was time to announce prom king and principal walk up on stage were the band/DJ was and took the microphone and addressed the crowd, "Good Evening everyone i hope you all had a great time so far and now it's time to announce this year's prom king and queen." She paused for a moment before she continued, "Astrid Hofferson and Hiccup Haddock!". The crowd was shocked for before a loud roar of applause erupted throughout the crowd.

Astrid grabbed Hiccup's hand and rushed to the stage to accept their crowns. When they accepted the crowns they got the honor of the first couples dance as they made their way to the gym floor for their slow dance. Hiccup got the courage to tell Astrid something that he wanted to tell her for awhile. With a shaky voice he told her, "Astrid there is something that I want to tell you but it always gets caught in my throat and that is that I love you." Astrid was taken by surprise for a brief moment before replying "I love you too Hiccup." as she leaned in to kiss him. Hiccup could feel the sparks flying and he returned it with a passion as the song came to an end. They separated and danced for another hour before heading home. Hiccup couldn't help thinking that his brother was right. Tonight was the best night of his life so far.

Once Hiccup brought Astrid back to her house he wished her fair well and his mother drove him home. He told his siblings about the night and Heather went on about her own date with her own boyfriend at a different school.

"So...I take it your relationship is going well?" Valka asked her son who lay in his bed with his night clothes on after showering. Toothless purred at his owner's side-they still had no idea how he did so-and watched the boy who was stuck in a dazed, almost dreaming state with his eyes open.

"Uh y-yeah mom. Sh-she's amazing." Valka couldn't help but chuckle as she lay a hand on her son's cheek. She handed him his medications which he'd forgotten to take before he took his shower. Once the boy was relaxed and his mother turned off the lights to his room, he fell asleep with a smile on his face for the first time since his father died. There were no saddened dreams that night, but instead memories of dancing with his girlfriend.


	38. Toothless' past

**(A/N) This chapter has a caution for minor violence and blood. You have been warned.**

Another year had past and Hiccup's life was amazing despite losing his father. His life had some amazing things happen like getting a girlfriend, having an amazing job, and a loving albeit crazy loving family.

It was an wonderful spring day and Hiccup decided to take Toothless on a walk around Defender City Park. When he came to a more secluded part of the park toothless suddenly was circumspect. Hiccup heard something off in the distance and he ask toothless,"What wrong bud?" For at this point Hiccup was on guard. As Toothless sensed something that didn't seem right like a dark presence is watching them Hiccup called out,"Who's there!? Show yourself!"

As a slow and methodical clapping was coming out of the shadows, a figure came out following the clapping. He said in a clear an explicit voice, "I must applaud you for being aware of your surroundings." Hiccup replied in an equally explicit voice, "who are you! And why are you here?!"

The mysterious man replied in a dark voice, "My name is Viggo Grimborn, and you have one of my prized pieces of property. Dog fighting has been a wealthy business around these parts for years and I believe you boy know exactly why not anger a dog fighter. It's you against me and my men, both stronger than a teenager."

Hiccup gave the man now known as Viggo a confused look and replied, "Property? You mean my dog Toothless?" His eyes widened when he pieced everything together. "Wait _Dog fighting?!_ You're the reason Toothless was in the shelter with a missing leg! You're the reason he was so scared of people weren't you?! That's why he was so scared to come over here!" Fury laced into his voice as the boy kneeled down and wrapped his arms around the dog in a protective manner.

Viggo gave him a look that sent shivers down his spine as he replied back to the boy, "Toothless ah yes. One of my best fighters. It was a shame when he was taken away from us by force but no matter. Now...I will have him back."

Hiccup gave him a look of anathema and abhor and yelled at Viggo with a furious voice, "Toothless isn't your property! Have you got a conscience?! I will never let you have Toothless again! Its despicable what you did to him and other dogs like him!"

Viggo had a look of displeasure and said, "You should have just given my the dog when you had the chance. Now you will pay the price for crossing me." Before hiccup could respond from out of nowhere two tranquilizer darts hit him and toothless. A sensation that felt like lighting coursed through him from his back as he collapsed on the ground, the contentious faded as he tied to fight it for as long as he could when he felt something hard hitting his right leg. He thought that specific pain could've just been him imagining it from the pain that was already in him just before. Hiccup succumbed to his pain he see another shadowy figure standing next to Viggo before he was consumed by blackness.

* * *

Hiccup woke up in a dark area. He seemed to be locked in some huge smelly closet. There were clothes around him along with bloody rope. Toothless was at his side and whimpered. Everything came back to the boy when he remembered the pain in his leg. A hiss escaped him and he groaned when he realized the limb was no doubt broken.

Hiccup's eyes teared up when he saw blood on his best bud's back. Viggo must've hurt Toothless when the dog tried to help his owner at some point. With shaking arms the boy wrapped his arms around his service animal and whispered into the dog's ear.

"We're going to get out of here Toothless. I _promise_ they're not going to hurt you for much longer." Suddenly the door to their make-shift cage opened and Ryker stood in front of the two sitting on the floor. He held a bowl of oatmeal and gave it to Hiccup.

"Eat up boy. We can't risk losing you. Viggo believes you could be useful. If it was up to me I'd kill you right now. No _boy_ is going to be used for the fights. You're just taking up more space." Ryker kicked Hiccup in the stomach who's eyes shut tightly. He accidentally loosened one of his teeth when he bit down. Toothless growled and tried to bite the man who hurt his owner, only to be kicked into the corner by the steal toed boot which had kicked Hiccup previously.

"Toothless no!" Hiccup shouted and he wrapped his arms around the dog.

"O-Okay Ryker fine. I'll do what Viggo wants. I don't care how much you hurt me. Just please...Don't hurt Toothless." Ryker smirked. "The Dog? That's what you're worried about? Not the fact that you could be killed?" Hiccup's eyes narrowed and he clutched his stomach.

"H-He's just protecting me. He's not dangerous! Don't kick him!" Ryker frowned. "That dog has killed _hundreds_ of others in its species!" Hiccup bit his lip when he was kicked again.

"And you've killed _thousands_ of them!" He yelled with fury. "He's defending himself that's all! There's something else they're fighting for! Their lives! If you weren't in their territory they'd-" "Shut up boy!" Ryker spat at Hiccup who froze.

"Don't be talking to me about someone invading your territory! Viggo wouldn't have to be running this business for his money if we hadn't had people like you and the other Haddocks attacking us in the first place." Tears sprang to Hiccup's eyes when his already broken leg was stepped on again. Ryker shut the door and went to tell Viggo that the boy was injured.

Hiccup hugged Toothless close who whimpered and shook. The dog yelped and screamed at the simplest of touches. Hiccup couldn't blame him. The animals was reliving his worst nightmares.

"I need your help dad." Hiccup whispered as he closed his eyes. "I'm not a police officer like you. I don't know what to do."


	39. Rescue

**(A/N) Yeah! Double update! Sorry for the moderately short chapter guys and gals. Hope you enjoy!**

To 18 year old Hiccup it seemed like hours since Ryker left the room. Hiccup felt coerce into the situation with Toothless with no hope to escape. His only hope so far was to cooperate with the hopes of that they will set him free once they are done with him, but he eventually had the sinking feeling that's not going to happen.

As Hiccup surveyed the room that he was in in the first thing he noticed was that the room was very frowzy and had poor lighting. As he tries to re position himself against the wall only to grimace in pain due to his leg and his ribs.

Hiccup looked at Toothless who was still laying beside him with his head in his lap trying his best to comfort him even though he was in pain and needed of comfort too. Hiccup started to think to himself on why Viggo wanted him when all he claimed he needed was his dog back for their dog fighting business that his father had potentially shutdown and they wanted revenge. This Ryker character had told him that the Haddock's had a attacked their business in the past. How did they know his last name he never told Viggo or Ryker his name so how did they know?

As he shoved his hands into his pockets Hiccup felt that he still had his wallet and his phone. He quickly pulled out the phone and took a quick look out the door to see if either Viggo or Ryker were coming his way. Albeit its cracks the phone still seemed to work. Hiccup pulled up his text messages and clicks on Astrid's contact information. He texted as fast as he could and texted a message that wasn't too much of an enigma for her to figure out,

" **Astrid I need help IDK where I am and have no idea how i got here but I feel that I might not survive that long. These men have to deal with Toothless and how he got to the shelter and something that has to do with my family's past. Please help me and I truly feel scared that we won't make it if we let these men have their way. BTW the men who kidnapped us are named Viggo and Ryker Grimborn."**

Hiccup sat up and hit send then put his phone back in his pocket just before Viggo re entered the room. He knew with that text he sent to Astrid the police would have a somewhat easier time finding him and Toothless he also knew that his mother would file a missing person report on him when he didn't return home that night from his walk with Toothless. He knew that she would be worried for him because she knew that he didn't tend to stay out late unless he was sleeping over at Astrid's. Hiccup always knew to tell her ahead of time if he was spending the night over. He just hoped that the police would find him in time before it's too late for him and Toothless.

Hiccup sat in the closet where he and Toothless were with his back pressed against the wall for pressure on his throbbing chest. He had a migraine induced by stress and no medications on him. Usually he had something to take because of his scoliosis or had to sit in certain positions. Now with his broken leg and the space they were in he couldn't do much to stop the pain. He was irritable and hungry, refusing to eat anything his captures offered him. His father used to say those who kidnapped kids and young adults like himself had sick minds and might poison or put drugs in their food.

"Are you doing okay bud?" Hiccup asked his dog. He reached out to touch Toothless who screamed, unable to see who was touching him in the dark. When the service animal remembered that his owner was the only one in here with him, he bowed his head and snuggled closer to the boy's sore torso.

Hiccup tried to keep his eyes open as his stomach rumbled. His leg was mostly just throbbing now and his migraine was so severe he felt dizzy. Holding onto the hope that Astrid would be able to help the police find him the boy sighed and fell asleep against the wall.

* * *

Hiccup and Toothless both woke up with a jolt when they heard something hit the door. At first they were both terrified and shook, worried that whatever plans the dog fighters had for them were going to be shown to them today. What surprised him was when Hiccup heard a familiar voice.

The boy hugged Toothless who wagged his tail. "It's Gobber bud." He whispered with a bright smile. His face was flushed and pain still seared through his body. He tried to move but couldn't do to his injuries. Hiccup cupped one hand over the side of his mouth.

"G-Gobber w-we're in here!" Hiccup shouted best he could. With one final blow to the door the man managed to open it. He rushed inside and lifted the boy into his arms despite Toothless biting at him. Do to Astrid's text the blacksmith knew that the dog was bound to be scared in such a place.

"I-I can walk." Hiccup tried to insist. Gobber only chuckled and smiled when Valka ran in and grabbed Toothless. The dog seemed to trust her well enough. Maybe it had something to do with her being a female as the people who took him from his home were males.

"Nonsense Hiccup. I'm taking you to the hospital." Hiccup groaned in annoyance. He _hated_ hospitals. How much did he have to do in order to get that through?

"I d-don't like hospitals." Hiccup mumbled. The sudden movements Gobber was making was worsening the pain in his head and ribs. He already felt himself falling unconscious again. When he was lay on a stretcher another man who was a worker for Hiccup's father lay a hand on the side of the boy's face comfortingly. In daylight they could tell the boy's head had a little blood on it.

"We're going to get you back home H. Safe and sound." The officer said before allowing the paramedics to lift Hiccup into the ambulance.


	40. Recovery

**(A/N) Sorry for the super late update guys and gals! Story was deleted by my brother who was mad at me so I had to recover it and rewrite the chapter. Hope you enjoy!**

As his senses started to return to him Hiccup found himself in a hospital bed with a hospital gown and rich red cast on his right leg with it already been signed by his girlfriend, half siblings, his godfather, and the officer who rescued him. He looked around the room more carefully he found that Toothless was wrapped in a bandage and was laying on his hospital bed with his head against his owner's chest. He saw his mother was sleeping in a chair next to his bed and. It looked like she hadn't gotten any sleep in days. As he weakly squeeze her hand, Valka slowly opened her eyes to see Hiccup was awake. She quickly stood up and shouted quietly, "Hiccup!" as she hugged him. Astrid awoke to Valka's quiet shout and to her relief to see Hiccup awake as she hugged him.

Hiccup tried to adjust himself only to grown in protest of pain. Both Astrid and Valka stopped him from doing so, as they both told him don't because he was still recovering from his injuries. Try as he might Hiccup couldn't fully remember what had happen to him.

As he got more awake he asked how knew where to find him. Hiccup remembered sending Astrid a text and he was worried that it was too confusing for her to understand and for any of his hope of them finding him.

Astrid sat next to the bed on a chair. She took her boyfriend's hand in hers. Hiccup looked at her with a confused expression. Astrid smiled warmly at him and brushed a few of his auburn locks out of his face. She looked down sadly at her next words.

"It...wasn't easy finding you Hiccup. I- _we_ were so worried we wouldn't get their in time. The whole search was chaotic. Your mother and I...we were _so_ worried we could hardly search at first. Gobber was up all night. He told everyone he would not sleep until we found you."

Hiccup smiled almost sadly. "Yeah, t-that sounds like Gobber." He whispered.

Astrid chuckled and brushed Hiccup's cheek with her thumb. "He continuously said that he was doing what Stoick would've done. He said Stoick had chosen him as your Godfather and that he wouldn't break his promise to protect you. He was just as fearful for you as any father would be. He really does love you Hiccup."

Hiccup's eyes widened as he listened to what Astrid said. Did Gobber really think of him like a son _that much?_ I mean, he _knew_ the blacksmith was his Godfather, but didn't know Gobber was so dedicated to the role. His smile became wider at the thought. It was like-in a way-he still had a dad.

Astrid smiled too when she saw how much Hiccup liked the idea. "Even Snotlout was worried about you. Ruff and Tuff-being the crazy teens they were-went as far as to _swing from tree to tree_ in order to cover the most ground they could the fastest." Hiccup burst out laughing at that one despite his ribs protesting at the pain.

"It was quite a sight to see." Valka stated as she took her son's hand. "Astrid is right. _Everyone_ who knew you were worried about you. Dagur and Heather are going to come to the hospital after school. They both had their own way of searching for you. Dagur searched with Gobber while Heather managed to get in with the twins."

Hiccup lifted a hand to cut his mother off. "Wait a minute. You're t-telling me _Heather_ was swinging from the trees with _t-the twins_ of all people?" Valka nodded causing her son to smile. "Yep. I have a feeling she thinks something of the Thorsten boy."

Hiccup frowned for a moment and faced his hands. If this was true he'd have to talk to Tuffnut. He may be his sister's _younger_ brother, but they pretty much talked about _everything_ nowadays. Despite their short time knowing each other, Hiccup and Heather were more connected than Dagur and Heather.

Hiccup looked back at Astrid and saw she looked sad suddenly. He took her hand. "What's wrong milady?" He asked her in a gentle tone. The Hofferson girl looked up and for the first time in forever he saw she had tears in her eyes.

"I just...I'm just remembering..."

 **Astrid sat on her bed with her knees to her chest. Her mom and dad made her stay home at night and search for Hiccup in the morning. She couldn't sleep and tears ran down her cheeks. She clutched a knife he once made her tightly to her chest and bit her lip.**

 **"I can't lose you Hiccup." Astrid began whispering to herself. "You're the most stubborn, brave knucklehead I know. I'm the person I am today because of you. I never told you that but it's** _ **true**_ **. I need you to come back. I _need_ to have the chance to tell you that. Please...please be safe. I can't imagine a world without you in it." **

**The next morning Astrid and the others searched high and low for Hiccup. Mrs. Ingerman was constantly comforting Valka who occasionally had panic attacks for her son. Nobody judged the Haddock woman. She'd just lost two family members as it was so her fear for her son was completely understandable. Out of nowhere, someone shouted that they'd found evidence suggesting the boy might be close.**

Astrid balled her fists and looked at Hiccup once she came out of the memory. Without any warning she kissed him gently. Hiccup blushed but returned the kiss quickly. It only lasted for a second, well with Valka being in the room and the boy's injuries. The kiss was still sweet though.

"Hiccup...you made me who I am today. When you were gone, I was _so scared_ that I wouldn't be able to tell you that."

Hiccup's eyes widened. "A-Astrid...y-you're _never_ afraid." Astrid shook her head and chuckled. "First time for everything I suppose." She paused before becoming more serious.

"Hiccup...I _love_ you. You know this. I uh...I need you. You bring out the better in me. I can't imagine a world without you in it."

Hiccup smiled and lay back as he suddenly became tired again. Probably the pain medications they had him on. "I can't imagine a world without you in it either." Astrid smiled and hid a blush with her bangs. A police officer came in.

The officers didn't need too much from Hiccup. They told him they needed a statement and any evidence he might have other than his injuries. By the time they left the boy was exhausted do to having just woken up for the first time around 30 minutes ago. Without much thought, and with his mother and Astrid at his side with Toothless' head in his lap, the boy fell into a dreamless peaceful sleep.


	41. Graduation

**(A/N) Sorry for super late update guys and gals. First half is by Pandamaster97720 and second half is by yours truly. Enjoy!**

It was decided once Hiccup had recovered he would take place in some self-defense classes so if a kidnapping ever happened again he would be prepared. He attended the classes every few weeks with one of his deceased father's friends.

Graduation was just around the corner and Hiccup was still injured somewhat ill. His leg was still broken and his ribs were still tender from the encounter with Viggo and Ryker Grimborn. He was still confused as to how they knew his last name. From his memory he never told them it and he never introduce himself to them in the slightest during their encounter.

Hiccup was happy to be back home in time for his graduation and spending it with his family, his friends, and his girlfriend. As he pulled up to the school with Astrid having to arrive earlier than the families so they could get situated before they walk down the rows of chairs to find their spot Hiccup got to sit next to his girlfriend due to their last names being so close to one another.

As the ceremony started Hiccup couldn't feel more proud of himself for graduating but couldn't helped to feel sad that his father couldn't witness this accomplishment and many other he will achieve in life due to someone who was stuck in the past and wanting revenge on him. He had to move forward and be strong, that's what his father would've wanted from him and his mother.

The ceremony was coming to an end and Hiccup's name was called as he walk across the stage to receive his diploma. He look out to the sea of parents, seeing the cheering applause of his half-siblings, his godfather who was exponentially louder than the others around him embarrassing him in front of his classmates, and his mother who was recording the ceremony on her camera. As the ceremony finally ended Hiccup and Astrid decided to go to the all night grad party that was happening later in the night. It was supposed to last until seven A.M. the next morning. Both families decided to have a joint friends and family graduation party the next day so all their friends didn't have to chose who's to go to and have the other feel left out.

The all-night grad party was in full swing. Both Hiccup and his friends and girlfriend left for the all night grad party at ten-thirty because it started at eleven.

There were lots of things to do there. There was an candy/soda bar to keep them awake, inflatable obstacle-courses, games, a fortune teller/magician and mind reader, and there were drawings for prizes that would be given to the students at the end of the night.

When the all-night grad party came to an end Hiccup had stocked up on enough candy and chips to last him a few weeks. He managed to win one of the prizes-a drone that had a camera on it which he was happy about- and Astrid won a new laptop.

As the sun started to rise up Valka picked up Hiccup and Astrid from the high school so they could get some rest for their graduation party that following afternoon.

* * *

At the graduation party Hiccup and Astrid sat next to each other on a bench. Heather sat nearby with Tuffnut trying to pull her into a food fight. The Haddock and Hofferson were far too exhausted from their previous night to participate in anything revolving around the second party.

Hiccup suddenly placed his hand on his head. Astrid immediately looked at her boyfriend with concern filling her expression. "Is something wrong babe?" She asked worriedly.

Hiccup blushed at the nickname. He shook his head and closed his eyes while leaning back.

"I-I'm alright. All this noise is just hurting my head."

Astrid immediately stood up and yanked on Hiccup's arm so he stood next to her. The Haddock boy yelped in surprise before blushing deeper as a soft kiss was placed on his cheek. His girlfriend began dragging him outside.

"Milady where are we going?" Hiccup questioned Astrid who turned to smile warmly at him. She sat them down on an outside bench, making sure they were nowhere near all of the noise.

"I don't want your head to hurt." Astrid whispered before kissing her boyfriend's cheek once more. "Lay down...like we did when we were kids."

Hiccup was confused at first and raised an eyebrow. When he saw Astrid was pointing to her lap he smiled and shook his head. "Don't I get a say in this?" He questioned with genuine confusion.

Astrid smirked and shook her head. "Nope." She stated simply and even casually as if this was something she did everyday. When her boyfriend tried to protest she shushed him with her finger. "I'm doing this for _you._ " She added stubbornly.

Hiccup smiled and lay down on the bench. He sighed as his girlfriend pulled his head into her lap and shielded his eyes from the painful light outside with her hand. She used her free hand to brush gently through his hair.

"You're the only person next to Toothless who knows how to deal with these migraines so well Astrid." Hiccup stated before leaning up to kiss the hand covering his eyes. When the light became too painful for him he retreated back under her protective hand with a groan. Astrid chuckled, not to be mean or make fun of the boy, but to keep herself from tearing up as she hurt when he hurt. She was putting a guard around herself. Anyone who was close to Hiccup had to do so sometimes. They knew that pain was just a part of his life.

Valka was talking to one of the mothers chaperoning the kids at the party. She saw Dagur walk over to Mala-Hiccup's previous therapist who had come along in case one of the kids she worked with who went to the school had any anxiety attacks or needed medical attention.

"What is he doing?" Valka asked herself quietly. All of her attention was now on her graduated son. What surprised her was when Dagur seemed to be asking to dance, and she was even more shocked when Mala agreed with a blush. The interaction was innocent, nothing more than a male asking a female for a dance at a party because he had nothing else to do, but somehow Valka's mother's instinct told her otherwise. Was Dagur smitten to her other son's old therapist?

Everyone in Hiccup's friend group had graduated and most of them were ready to take on adulthood. What would the future hold as they were no longer teenagers in high school? Only time would tell.


	42. Applications

**(A/N) Sorry for late update again! Here's chapter 42 for you guys and gals who are reading!**

Summer was fleeting fast and college courses were starting to open. Hiccup wasn't sure on what he wanted to do, but he knew he wanted to do something with blacksmithing so welding sounded like something he would like.

Hiccup's plan was that he could major in welding and have a minor in engineering and maybe something in law or business to honor his father's legacy within those two fields. He decided to stay local and decided to go to Defender City University.

As Hiccup started to fill out the college application form Valka entered the room with some lunch witch was shepherd's pie. She placed it on the table where he was working. Hiccup told her that he knew what major he wanted to go into but he didn't know what to minor in. He explained to his mother that he was stuck between business or law. He wanted to honor his father in some way in his future career but he couldn't decide between the two. What she told him just follow his heart in making that decision. As she left the room Hiccup took some time to do some soul searching and came to the decision to do business to honor his father.

After filling out the application form and the one for the dorms Hiccup decided to head over to Astrid's house to see how she was doing ever since he was kidnapped. The young Hofferson was very protective of him. The same went for his mother, godfather, and half-siblings. Sure they used to be over protective of him do to the few handicaps he had. This was different though. It was as if they thought he could abducted or injured at any second of the day. As he grabbed Toothless's leash and harness Hiccup let his mother know where he was going.

As Hiccup arrived at his girlfriend's place he was immediately greeted by Stormfly-Astrid's husky-as well as Agnar who was a part of the big search and rescue that was used in order to find him.

"Good evening Milady. I was coming over to see how you're doing with your applications. This is a pretty big occurrence in all of our lives. Then there's Dagur and Mala." Hiccup greeted Astrid as they began walking to her bedroom. Agnar offered to bring them a picture of juice and crackers as an evening snack before they went to Valka's for dinner.

"This is all so crazy! Can you believe we're actually going to _college._ " Astrid told her boyfriend after cracking the bedroom door. Hiccup sat beside her bed with his knees to his chest and journal sitting on his knees. He immediately got lost in his own world and sketched. This was something that helped with his anxiety.

Astrid knew that everything she was saying was going in one ear and out the other at this point. She sat on her bed and hooked her left leg over her boyfriend's right shoulder. The side of Hiccup's mouth curved upwards into a lopsided smile though he didn't react more from his place on the carpeted floor.

Agnar entered the room with the juice and smiled at the sight of his daughter and her boyfriend. Astrid's fingers were working through the knots in Hiccup's wild hair while he was lost in his drawing. The man noticed the large brown-ish mark on the boy's lower neck and sighed. A thought came to mind though he didn't say it. Everyone who deeply cared for Hiccup was thinking it really. They were all worried if Neurofibromatosis type one and a prosthetic leg would affect his college life.

"You're skills are beautiful Hiccup." Astrid told Hiccup once her father had left the room. Hiccup nodded his head, finished smudging the shading on one part of the page, and looked up at his girlfriend with a spark in his eyes. He angled his neck so he could catch Astrid's lips with his after she leaned down.

Astrid deepened the kiss and held it for a second before pulling away. She felt rather sure of herself why as Hiccup was blushing as red as a tomato. He hid his face with his bangs and shrunk into himself. Astrid laughed and placed her fingers under his chin so he'd have to look at her.

"Hiccup I-" Astrid was cut off when the doorbell rang. Not a minute later and Heather was in the room. She sat down beside her brother as if she owned the place and clung to her brother's arm.

"Guess what came in the mail today dork." Heather teased her brother who rolled his eyes with an annoyed groan. "What is it Heather?"

Heather looked at her brother then up at Astrid who cocked her head to the side in confusion. "Hiccup, Astrid, and I are all going to the same college!"

Hiccup's eyes widened and he looked up at Astrid with a broad smile. He stood up and nearly tripped over himself but his girlfriend caught him. They hugged tightly and welcomed Heather into the group hug.

"This is great Hiccup!" "There's more. Fishlegs is common too. Mom helped find a program for him." Hiccup smiled and pulled away from the hug.

Things were all turning up for the best it seemed.


	43. Moving in with bros

**(A/N) Hey guys and gals! So sorry for late update! That one's on me. My bad!**

 **Any who this one takes place where Hiccup and the gang are 19. Hope you enjoy and we've got some good Hiccup-Fishlegs bonding coming your way! Also this one's a bit short so sorry for that. Approximately 830 words rounding to the nearest tenth. Sorry for talking about math as I know some find it rather boring.**

It was the start of August and Hiccup was packing up his room to get ready to move into his dorm. He took one last look around his room thinking back to his fondest memories that he held in this very room. Although he was happy to go to college and to continue to work with Gobber, he couldn't help to feel sad that his father couldn't see him off to college and his other big milestones in his life due to someone wanting revenge for something that his father felt right in reporting to his boss. Hiccup was still taking his self defense so he could be better equipped to handle situations where he might be getting kidnapped or someone if someone was to attack him. Surprisingly enough he was doing quite well.

As he took boxes to his truck-which happened to be owned by his father-Hiccup unloaded box after box. The truck was filled with his possessions, cloths, and his items for Toothless who would be joining him for his college career.

Hiccup took one last look at his room before heading out to greet the rest of his family. He gave them all a great big hug and his mother just had to kiss the top of his head in front of everyone. She told him how proud she was of him and that his father would be so proud of him if he was there. The same was repeated with his half-siblings and his godfather/ boss who would let him get adjusted to college life before working on a work schedule for him.

Hiccup called for Toothless before they both left the house. Hiccup helped toothless into the passenger seat before he got in, started the engine, and pulled the car out of the driveway and on to the road to start the journey to Defender City University.

As the city passed him by Hiccup wondered what college life was going to be like and how his NF would impact it. As he pulled up to is dormitory building to start unloading his things he saw that he was not the only one.

Hiccup was pleasantly surprised to see that Astrid was in the same dorm as he was and not only that, but their rooms were right next to each other, so it was easy for them to help each other to unload their things into their respective dorm rooms. Once Hiccup got situated and unpacked his things in to his handicap accessible room, he was beyond happy that his roommate just so happened to be his adoptive brother Fishlegs who had gotten into University with a signed special-needs program. It made sense really. Fishlegs wasn't helpless and Hiccup had taught him sign language over the many years they'd known each other. The boy had a hearing aid now which helped with louder noises, and he'd learned how to read braille.

Hiccup sat his suitcase down and stood next to Fishlegs who was putting his books away on a shelf. The boy hadn't even acknowledged his brother's presence as he was far too concentrated on what order he should put his books in. He was stuck between favorite genres to least favorite genres and alphabetical order.

Hiccup grabbed his brother's hand who yelped in surprise at first. Then he spoke loudly enough for Fishlegs to hear him along with signing against the boy's hand as he'd learned to do.

"Hey it's okay bro. It's me Hiccup. We're roommates!" Fishlegs smiled brightly. He'd been told that do to his disability his program hadn't found him a roommate yet because he would need someone who could respect the fact that he needed certain things in his room to stay the way they were so he could map out the place in his mind.

 _"Hiccup! It's so nice to chat with you again! Can we talk about this new history book I'm reading? It's about a culture that used to tame and ride dragons hundreds of years ago!"_ Fishlegs signed against his brother's hand. Hiccup chuckled.

"Of course we can Fishlegs. You _know_ I enjoy history and anything that has to do with dragons." An almost sad look made its way into Hiccup's eyes and he looked at the floor, though his smile still remained on his face. It looked as if he was longing for something, though Fishlegs fortunately couldn't see the change in expression.

"They're just such free creatures." Hiccup whispered while he signed. He righted himself and spoke louder with more confidence. "So...before we chat, want help figuring out how to organize your books? You've got at least four stacks of a dozen each!"

Fishlegs chuckled once more and signed against his brother's hand. _"You know me so well."_

 **(A/N) There you have it and I hope you all enjoy! Updates will probably continue coming slowly for the nest 6-8 weeks because I've got courses for my LPN license coming up. Sorry about that!**


	44. College struggles

**(A/N) Hey guys and gals! Sorry for the slow updates, that's on me. I hope you enjoy this new chapter and I give you a bit more Hiccup-Fishlegs-Astrid-Toothless bond! Enjoy!**

College was starting to take a toll on Hiccup once it really started up. At first it was fine and he was keeping up with all of his assignments and projects for his welding class, not to mention his job with Gobber too but he started to fall behind in his classes in just a matter of weeks. His migraines were becoming worse than what he was used too due to not only his NF but also stress, and his back pain and anxiety was beginning to cause sleep deprivation. As a result, he could hardly stay awake during the day, and when he did his head was throbbing.

During this long three weeks Astrid was starting to get worried about her boyfriend and the fact that he was starting to fall asleep during their movie dates. The amount of migraines that he was having was starting to worry her and the fact that he wasn't participating in some of the fun college events that the were on most weekends made her even more concerned. Hiccup had even had to tell Gobber that he needed time off work so he could try to keep up with his workload with all his homework and project a few times. Luckily Gobber-being the man he was and having grown with the boy-understood why this was and that Hiccup needed to focus on his education and to keep up his grades. His memories went back to the deal when he first started out working with Hiccup, that he had to keep his grade up in order to work as a blacksmith with his Godfather.

* * *

"Hey Hiccup. What's going on?" Astrid asked Hiccup as they sat at a small sandwich shop for lunch. Fishlegs had come along too and was drinking one of his favorite sodas they had there. The other two teens got subs and coffee.

"What do you mean? I'm fine." Hiccup said to his girlfriend with a lopsided smile. He took a sip of his coffee, unable to make eye contact with his now glaring and highly suspicious significant other.

"I don't like it when you lie to me Hiccup." Astrid said with a stern tone. The boy in question looked down at his drink, before letting out a deep sigh. His head was beginning to hurt again as well.

"I mean...My migraines are just getting a little worse." Hiccup tried to beat around the bush, something he never did with anyone who wasn't his mom, sister, or girlfriend. Astrid rolled her eyes and took his hand with her face now containing a warm, welcoming smile.

"Have you been taking your medications everyday?" Astrid asked in a quiet voice. The only two people who could bring out this side of Astrid was Hiccup and his adoptive brother. The boy in question nodded his head, lacing his fingers with hers. The waiter came over and took their trays, giving them more coffee. This was one of the few sandwich shops they knew who were so simple yet fancy at the same time.

"Yeah." Hiccup mumbled simply. His headache was beginning to get worse, and he tried to let the steam from the coffee flow over his face in an attempt to help as he drank it slowly. The dragon smell that came afterwards only made him feel worse. Astrid immediately noticed this.

"Are you having one right now?" Astrid asked with an eyebrow raised and a concerned gaze. Hiccup locked eyes with her for about a full moment, and his girlfriend didn't back down. After a moment longer he tore his gaze away and sighed. He could never lie to her when she gave him _that_ look. No matter how many years of practice he had she would always see right through him, even if he was covering up his secrets to protect her from his burdens.

"Maybe." Hiccup answered. He really didn't know if this was a stress-induced-headache or something more. His service dog and best bud-who had been laying on the floor peacefully as he was supposed to do when at a restaurant as to not frighten anyone eating there-made his signature purring sound. Hiccup's eyebrows raised and his fists tightened. This wasn't a regular headache, Toothless could always sense it if something more was about to happen.

Astrid noticed Toothless was sensing something too. It was obvious by the way the dog immediately began making the purring sound that had soothed Hiccup since they were both little. She stood up and lay a hand on her boyfriend's shoulder.

"I don't want you to be in here if it's only going to cause you pain. Let me go pay the bill and we can go somewhere quieter to have fun okay?" Hiccup nodded his head, reaching down to pet Toothless' head who cooed in worry. Fishlegs-able to know what was going on because of his hearing aid and sensing Astrid's movements as she left the table-took his brother's hand and signed to him.

 _"Are you going to be okay?"_ Fishlegs signed. This was a fairly common thing, tradition almost.

Hiccup sighed and nodded his head even if his brother couldn't see it. "We're going to be fine. Just going somewhere else." He spoke and signed at the same time. Fishlegs smiled and lay his beefy hand on his brother's shoulder, happy when he sensed Hiccup relaxing.

* * *

One day after his welding class, Hiccup's teacher pulled him aside and ask him was going on. She had seen how hard of a time the boy was having these past few weeks, and Astrid had told her about her worries. As he started to explain to him what's going on, the teacher told Hiccup that he should talk to the accommodation specialist to see how she can make his college experience better and less stressful.

So after that talk with his teacher Hiccup went to 'Student Service' and made an appointments to talk to the accommodation specialist for today at one. After lunch with his girlfriend he went to his meeting with the accommodation specialist and it was decided that Hiccup would get extra time to do his tests and assignments and he can take his test in a quiet room in the library or academic support center near the library. Since that day his college experience was starting to get better and he was starting to work for Gobber again. His migraines were giving him some temporary relief which led to him getting back on a normal sleep schedule...well as normal as a sleep schedule as a college student could get.


	45. College date

**(A/N) This one is a little shorter than expected. My bad guys and gals! I hope you enjoy anyways, and we give you more Hiccstrid and Fishlegs-Hiccup brother bonding!**

It was a brisk winter day and with the weekend just around the corner the whole gang was at a party that they had planned out. On the way to the party Hiccup's adoptive brother Fishlegs ask him how can he ask out Ruffnut out on a date. Briefly stunned by the news because Fishlegs hadn't seemed to show any interest in her, Hiccup nonetheless agreed to help him with his conundrum.

The party was a movie/ sleepover and a dance party at Dagur's place for everyone to catch up with one another. During the party Fishlegs was still very nervous about asking out Ruffnut on a date but Hiccup made sure to reassure his brother that he just needed to be himself and he would be perfectly fine. After their brother-to-brother conversation, Hiccup made his way to where Astrid was and greeted her with a hug and a kiss.

As the party went on Hiccup saw his half-sister talking to Tuffnut and for what he could overhear, Heather was asking Tuffnut out on a date. To his surprise Tuffnut eagerly said yes. Another surprise was that shock him was that his cousin was with his girlfriend that Hiccup didn't really didn't knew he had. A girl named Mindin, and to him the biggest surprise was his half-Brother Dagur was with his old therapist Mala. He had seen them together at his graduation party but didn't know that they were dating.

During the commotion of the movie and the music that was going off in the background both Hiccup, Astrid, along with Toothless manage slip away from the group and decided before the sleepover part of their party they wanted to go on a private date just so they could have some time to themselves without the rest of the gang badgering them. They decided to go see a movie at one of the dog friendly ones. Even though Toothless was a service dog it was better safe than sorry.

"I'm really happy their's a dog friendly theater near here." Hiccup said to his girlfriend as they entered the giant main room and paid for their tickets. Toothless sat calmly at his owner's side, his half-left-leg pawing at the claw machine that was beeping. Both members of the young couple chuckled at the sight of the curious service dog, before grabbing their drinks and heading to their theater room.

The movie that they decided to see was _How to train your dragon the hidden world._ Hiccup and Astrid had been big fans of the HTTYD franchise ever since they were little, and were elated when it came out this past month and had been planning on seeing it theaters as soon it came out.

After the movie ended, Hiccup wrapped one arm around Astrid who was still shocked about the ending. Hiccup was one to go over all the new-news about the movie when it came out online, so had an idea of the plot. Astrid on the other hand had only seen the trailers. Toothless hadn't really payed much attention to the screen, but was happy to trot around with his new Night-Light blanket wrapped around his middle.

"You wanna grab something to eat since we didn't have dinner with the others?" Astrid asked her boyfriend. She held his hand tightly as they walked side-by-side along the street-light lined sidewalks. Music was playing at a restaurant somewhere in the distance, and the highway nearby was hardly busy. There were many sandwich and coffee shops with dim lights lining the roads, and a few kids played basketball at a nearby court. It was the perfect scene.

"Sure. Let me pay milady." Astrid chuckled and nodded with a bright smile. Before they entered the coffee shop she grabbed Hiccup by the shirt collar and kissed him deeply. Some group of teenagers with their skateboards wolf-whistled from a shop parking lot nearby, only making both college students laugh and give them sly yet playful glares. One of the guys eyed Astrid with an eyebrow raised, leading to Astrid giving him the middle finger and Hiccup not-so-subtly standing in the view of all the 'good parts' so the other boy would leave his girlfriend alone.

"High-School Teenagers. Remember when we were there?" Astrid asked with a laugh as they entered the shop. Hiccup shrugged his shoulders with a warm smile. He ordered coffee and cream-cheese bagels for the both of them, along with a peanut butter dog treat the shop had in their 'doggie-isle' for Toothless. A creative idea that attracted many costumers.

As their date ended and they headed back to the party it was slowly dying down and every one was starting to getting ready to start the sleepover. No one knew that the young had slipped away for a private date. They got in their sleeping bags and finally everyone was starting to go to sleep. Hiccup and Astrid were close to one another, sleeping side by side like when they were kids. One thing was for sure, they couldn't help bu think that their date tonight was the best one that they had so far since they started their college career.


	46. Moving in

It was their second year at Defender City University and they didn't have to stay in the dorms if they wanted. Both Hiccup and Astrid were talking about moving into an apartment close to the university and they found one that was close and was in their price range $1500 a month. It was a two bedroom and a two bath with an open concept with elements of both modern and viking rustic and the apartment building was handicap accessible for Hiccup.

The couple moved in during the summer break so they didn't have to rush putting their apartment before school started up again and they did have help from their friends and family. Hiccup made the viking decor for their apartment with some help from Gobber.

As they got use to sharing a space and a bed as well they both knew this could be a test to how strong their relationship was. Hiccup and Astrid knew if they could survive without tearing each others throats out despite the lack of privacy, they would one day be able to achieve engagement and later, marriage.

As they started to get settle in the apartment Hiccup and Astrid started to work out a schedule for everything from what days they go shopping for groceries, when the rent would be do on the unit, the schedule for their laundry, and finally who would be home when who was at work.

It had taken about two weeks to get the lease settled, and most of the weekend to get everything moved in their apartment, but the young couple finally got into groove of things so they could finally relax and enjoy each other's company before the craziness they called college would make itself apparent once more.

A week later and Hiccup and Astrid were invited to a block party to welcome them to the neighborhood. Both new neighbors felt at home with all the warm welcomes and lot of baked goods. Toothless made some new furies friends, and lot of questions were asked by their neighbors on why hiccup had Toothless as a service dog and both he and Astrid were happy to answer them.

After the stress was over and the high died down, both Hiccup and Astrid were able to get into the rhythm of living together. Astrid would help her boyfriend when he was having a migraine or his leg/scoliosis was making it hard for him to preform tasks like cooking, cleaning, and occasionally (though very rarely) showering-though she never actually helped him with the more intimate stuff, just getting his clothes and towels ready. They'd also bought a shower chair so Hiccup had an easier time when he was bathing with the lack of prosthetic.

"So Milady...who's taking over the laundry tonight?" Hiccup asked as he poured a cup of coffee for the both of them. They'd both finally gotten used to paying the bills and rent, so were able to actually embrace the life of living on their own. Hiccup himself had always known it would be harder for him to live without someone to support him, but now that he had Astrid he could have the independence without the anxiety.

"If you'll take the cooking I'll get the laundry. We both know you're the better cook here." Astrid said with a chuckle. Hiccup set the coffee down on a counter for both of them, before wrapping his right arm around his girlfriend and using his left hand to cup her cheek. Astrid smiled and gazed into his eyes, both of her small hands holding his elbows tenderly.

"You're talented in just about every subject milady." Hiccup whispered before pressing a kiss to her forehead. When he pulled away from the kiss he let his girlfriend go. Astrid turned around, took a sip of the coffee, and headed to the laundry room. Hiccup smiled, watching her leave into the next room, before reaching into the fridge to grab some eggs. He was planning on making Omelets and steamed corn for dinner, along with some hot-chocolate and apple pie for desert, recipe being courtesy of his mother.


	47. Severe

Hiccup's back pain was getting unbearable and most days he didn't want to get out of bed and sitting in class and working with Gobber was getting hard to do. Also actually going to his classes across both sides of the college building was starting to feel like a chore due to how uncomfortable he was in class due to his back pain, but Hiccup knew that he needed to be on top of his work and his job because his job was keeping them afloat and even though Astrid and Hiccup's parents helped them out from time to time it was still Hiccup's job was the main reason they didn't have to live in the dorms.

It was about five months into the semester when Hiccup couldn't stand his back pain any more. He was forced to go to his doctor despite his dislike for the place to see what he could do to stop his pain because he couldn't live his life in pain. Hiccup had Astrid call his mother because the day he wanted to call her he was in so much pain he couldn't form sentences that were understandable.

Toothless-sensing his owner's pain and discomfort throughout this-was by Hiccup's side trying to comfort him in hopes of soothing his headache, backache, and discomfort. Astrid agreed to calling Valka about Hiccup's back pain and discomfort and him needing to see his doctor about and how it can be stopped. Valka-being the concerned mother that she was-rushed to their apartment and called her son's doctor about needing to see him immediately do something to ease his back pain.

As they sat in his hospital room, Hiccup lay on a hospital bed with Toothless by his side still trying to soothe him before his doctor came into his room. Astrid stood by her boyfriend's side holding his hand. Valka was the one who actually spoke to the doctor.

After Valka spoke with the Dr. about Hiccup's scoliosis symptoms causing delays in his daily life, the decision was made to have surgery on the boy's back. If Hiccup wasn't to take care of the matter now, he would face harsh consequences when he grew and would eventually not have this opportunity to fix a few things.

Hiccup was none to pleased to hear the news. He was not one who enjoyed hospitals, let alone surgeries. The last time he'd had a surgery his leg was lost, something that took a huge toll on his life. Sure he was able to walk now, but he dealt with the memory of the loss on a daily basis.

"You're going to be fine my boy." Valka whispered to her son who now had an IV in his arm. The medication going into his blood stream was meant to both ease his pain and keep him calm. The doctors had been trying to monitor his heart beat, though this was hard as Hiccup was constantly facing anxiety spouts that would send his pulse soaring.

"I really don't like the idea of all of this." Hiccup whispered to his mother. Valka placed her hand on both sides of her son's face who leaned into the touch and pressed his forehead to hers with his eyes closed. Valka smiled warmly and allowed her son to stay there like this. He may be a 20 year old adult now reaching his height in college, but he would always be her little boy. The one who she'd been fighting for since he was only a baby.

"I know. This is what we need to do though. Astrid and I only want the best for you." Valka whispered to her son. She pulled away from him when the doctor walked in to replace his IV, though Toothless still remained on his best friend's lap so Hiccup was more at ease.

"The surgeons are about ready to take the patients vitals and set him up for surgery." The main Doctor said in a kind tone. Valka nodded her head and looked at her son with a weak smile. The doctor approached Hiccup's bed and reached out his gloved hand. Hiccup hesitantly shook hands before looking Astrid with that pleading look that meant he needed her. The Hofferson girl took less than two second to sit by his side and wrap her arm around him.

The familiar process of preparing Hiccup for surgery went by rather quickly. There were no complications and before long Hiccup was in his own room with an oxygen mask over his mouth. He was on edge at first, but eventually fell into a deep sleep with his hands limp at his side.

When Hiccup awoke again he smiled at the sight of his girlfriend, mother, service dog, and Godfather/Boss standing over him. He attempted to sit up but a hiss of pain escaped his lips. His whole body was sore and Valka attempted to keep him still.

"Easy son. You need to take it easy for the next few weeks." Valka whispered to her 20 year old boy. She'd always be there to protect him, along with the other people in the room. A tear of pain escaped Hiccup's eye when he moved too quickly, his tired state making him unable to control his emotions. Valka and Astrid were both happy to comfort him until he was himself again, Toothless hanging out at his owner's feet until he was needed, purring comfortingly the whole time.


	48. Recovering again

**(A/N) I am so sorry for the incredibly short past few updates. This one is unfortunately only about as long as 600 words. We will work to update longer chapters in the future I promise. Hope you guys and gals enjoy!**

It had just been one week since Hiccup had his surgery for his scoliosis and his doctor gave him an estimate of two months for his recovery fully from his surgery. He was recovering at home with his mother and his Godfather while Astrid went to her class and got Hiccup's work that he would miss due to his surgery and recovery.

During his recovery Hiccup got visits from his half-siblings Dagur and Heather with their relationship partners Mala and Tuffnut. Fishlegs also came over around the same time as his half siblings and their boy/girlfriend. Even his cousin Snotlout took time out of his busy day and romantic life to visit the fellow Haddock boy.

Hiccup spent most of his recovery sleeping in is bed or the couch and having either his mom or Gobber help him to use the bathroom and to bathe, even though it was somewhat embarrassing having to ask for help just to have to use the bathroom and having to clean himself but he understood that he needed to take things easy after his surgery to ensure he recovered fully and without any complications.

One week Fishlegs came to the house and had a long enough break to spend the whole week with his adoptive brother. The particular classes he was taking didn't require him to be at the college all of the time. The two brothers caught up with each other, spoke about their romantic lives, and even occasionally got into some of the play they used to when they were young. Of course this time they couldn't be rough. Fishlegs had even taken to reading some of his book out loud to Hiccup. Their current chapter was about the Chinese dragon and its past.

"You don't have to do this mom. I'm twenty years old." Hiccup said stubbornly with a dry chuckle while he lay in bed. Valka had taken to cleaning his torso with a cold rag after the young man had run a fever do to the stress on his body. Unfortunately Hiccup, being the stubborn offspring of Stoick he was, had been straining himself when he was told to take it easy. For the most part he did what the doctor told him to do, but occasionally tried to do too much on his own.

Once Hiccup's fever was broken, Astrid came over the second her classes were finished. They both sat together on the couch and popped a replay of the Dragons: Riders of Berk episodes into the DVD player.

While resting at home these past few weeks, Hiccup got some much needed quality time together with Astrid while he was recovering. They got in plenty of dates even though it was just movies and dinner in front of the TV and falling asleep against each other like they had when they were kids.

Finally, after weeks and weeks of recovery that never seemed to end, Hiccup was allowed to go back to classes. This was good too, because as the year was coming to an end, tests and exams were approaching and he needed to get as much studying done as he could (Migraines and Backaches be damned). Despite his determination to get everything done on his own, Hiccup's family, friends, and girlfriend would be there to help him when he would push himself over the edge and need someone to real him back in.


	49. Romantic

**(A/N) We give you yet another Hiccstrid date, and Hiccup finally revisiting a place that once held horrible memories. Hope you enjoy guys and gals!**

It has been three months since Hiccup's surgery for his scoliosis and it has been a while since he and Astrid went out on a date. Even though they did small dates while he was recovering, they never really went out for their dates. It was a long time coming so they decided to take their dogs for a walk through defenders city park. It had been over a year since Hiccup was there since his and Toothless had been kidnapped from there and it was a nice enough night for a walk and to get ice cream.

After a long few weeks of planning the 'perfect date', Hiccup and Astrid finally had the free time they needed to drive to the park with their dogs in the back seat. They listened to 'Fairy tale by Alexander Ryback' along the way, Hiccup deciding to show off his "singing skills" witch were really nothing more than the ability to carry a tune despite his incredibly nasally voice. Astrid wasn't a big fan of singing, but couldn't help but laugh at the sight of her boyfriend playfully mimicking the singer while driving. Toothless and Stormfly began howling in the back seat about halfway through the song in tune, sending both Hiccup and Astrid into a fit of giggles once they're finally parked the car.

As they walked through the park taking it easy for Hiccup even though he has recovered from his surgery they still wanted to take it easy just to be sure. As Hiccup and Astrid were heading home they stopped at a local ice cream shop where they got vanilla ice cream for Toothless and Stormfly. Astrid got her favorite chocolate flavored ice cream and Hiccup got prickly pear ice cream in an attempt to try something new. To his surprise he quite enjoyed it as they continue to eat their ice cream and walk home where they talked about HTTYD the hidden world and just HTTYD in general.

Talking about their favorite moments and what should of happened in the hidden world and their top favorite episodes and villains from the TV shows along with the original movies seemed to bring them closer together. They mainly went over their favorite final battles from the TV shows and movies because that seemed to be Astrid's most favorite topic. Hiccup couldn't help but smile as he watched her rant about what the characters could've done better in their battles, and what they should've put off in order to save their energy.

Eventually Hiccup became tired of walking around and both members of the young couple sat on a bench. They released their dogs off of their leashes so Toothless and Stormfly could play under the stars. The sight was one to behold and definitely laugh worthy.

"Their adorable." Astrid whispered to her boyfriend, taking his hand in hers. Hiccup nodded and leaned down so his head was against her shoulder. He had high anxieties do to being out here at night where he was once kidnapped, but insisted they stay and not end the date early. He'd told Astrid he wanted to be with her in this moment as long as he could. Her presence was all that was needed in order to calm his nerves.

"Not as adorable as you." Hiccup whispered with a slight blush afterwards. Astrid chuckled and wrapped her arm around her goofball of a boy.

"That was so cheesy." Astrid whispered with a challenging smirk. Hiccup sat up and placed his hand over his heart in fake hurt. "Well that was offensive!" He shouted in mock-anger. Astrid laughed and used both of her hands to tackle and tickle him. Hiccup squirmed under her grasp, going still and panting when she finally stopped. He stared into her eyes from below her, a blush making its way up both of their faces.

The moment lasted a little while longer, neither Hiccup nor Astrid able to come up with a solution to dim with fire between them. They dared not kiss, fearing they would take things too far in the darkness. Toothless and Stormfly both came to the rescue, upset they weren't getting attention thus hopping onto the bench to keep all eyes on them.

Both Hiccup and his girlfriend sat up with a laugh, hooking their leashes to the dogs' collars and scratching the canines behind the ears. Stormfly thumped her foot pleased and Toothless purred.

"I think we should probably he heading back." Astrid said once she looked at her phone and realized it was already 21:00/9:00 in the evening. She tucked her hair behind her ear bashfully before confidently joining hands with her boyfriend and taking the leashes of both of their dogs.

Hiccup nodded with a warm smile, kissing his girlfriend on the cheek. They both walked to the car where they drove to their apartment. That night the couple spent in each other's arms was more special than any other they're had so far. Their love shown in their eyes and Hiccup made sure to let Astrid know despite everything he was going through he would protect her. The sight of the park he'd once been kidnapped in brought out a protective side in him, one Astrid did not have a single complaint about.

After weeks of planning their date, Hiccup and Astrid woke up the next morning sure of themselves that they had accomplished what they'd been looking for. They knew how much they loved each other, and the fire that had slightly faded was making itself apparent again. Of course it was always there, but the flame between them had been losing its spark a little bit these past few weeks, well with Astrid acting more as Hiccup's caretaker than his girlfriend. Now, that spark was back, and they couldn't be more grateful.


	50. Strain

It was finals week and Hiccup couldn't be more stressed. He was cramming his projects for his welding class, all of is papers for his other classes and not to mention his job with Gobber...of this was starting to effect his life and he was starting to lose sleep and his back was bothering him, though not as bad before his surgery few months ago.

Hiccup was starting to fall asleep much earlier than usual and at his desk in his and Astrid apartment and Astrid was always having to help him into their bed so Hiccup could at least be comfortable when he was sleeping. His migraines were starting to get bad again to the point that he was just keeping the lights off in the apartment and wearing sunglasses in class and at work. He knew that he had to push through finals week before he could, rest but he also knew that sooner or later he was going to crash and burn and collapse at some point either in class, at home, or at his job. Hopefully it would be at home where Astrid was. He knew he could trust her.

"You're overcrowding yourself with responsibilities babe." Astrid whispered to her boyfriend. The young man was laying on the couch with a newspaper in his hands, and Astrid had taken to rubbing his temples soothingly. Toothless was tired from having to calm his rider who was now experiencing night terrors do to his stress when they were both supposed to be sleeping. Astrid felt the same way, though said nothing about it.

"I know...It's taking up my sleep and work time. I just have to power through this, then we'll both have time to relax." Hiccup mumbled. He set the newspaper down and grabbed both of Astrid's hands. He removed them from his head and kissed her wrists tenderly. Astrid sighed with a warm smile, the both of them sharing a chaste peck before sitting up.

"I just think you should take things a little easier. Thor knows we don't want you crashing during the actual tests." Hiccup gave a dry chuckle and nodded, the motion making his head throb. He whistled for Toothless who hopped onto the couch.

Hiccup lay down and pressed his head to his service dog's fur. Astrid smiled warmly as she watched the two, Toothless 'purring' like the unique canine he was. The gesture had always seemed to ease Hiccup's pain. Their bond was one no other human being would ever understand, and she was okay with that. Toothless was not just a dog, nor Hiccup just an owner. They were best friends, more important to each other than life itself. Unfortunately Astrid knew that Toothless would one day pass away do to having a shorter life span than most humans, but that was not a day that would be close by.

"You know milady...I think you're right." Hiccup sat up once his head was feeling good enough to allow him to drink something, taking the pain pill his girlfriend handed him. "Why don't we head to bed early tonight and go to sleep to some music? I'll make an easy but romantic dinner, and we can sleep in tomorrow. I need it and _you_ deserve it after helping me so much."

Astrid smiled at her boyfriend and nodded her head. She took his hand and they both walked to the kitchen to start dinner. Only Astrid would ever be able to puncture through his stubborn walls in a way no one else-not even his mother-could.

 **(A/N) Yeah** **I know this one is probably the shortest one yet, but I needed to get it done and we had a little less inspiration than usual. As for the whole Toothless 'purring' thing, I know there might be some people out there who are skeptical. Just wanted to let you guys and gals know that I personally actually have a Chihuahua who can 'purr'. I know she does not have the body structure of a cat, but somehow she is-no joke-capable of mimicking the same sound and sensations. Her whole body vibrates and the sound that comes with it sounds equivilant to that of an adult cat. It's actually quite cute. Anyhow, I hope you enjoyed**


	51. Rings

**(A/N) Here we go with another chapter guys and gals! Here's some Hiccup/Valka bond which hasn't been evident for a little while.**

It was getting close to graduation and Hiccup had the bright idea of proposing to Astrid at graduation. He wasn't the only one with this idea. Dagur had come to him and asked him if he could help him make an engagement ring for Mala and hiccup agreed because it just so happens that he planned to make Astrid's engagement ring and wedding bands. Hiccup spent days making two sets, one for him and Astrid and one for Dagur and Mala. As they days started to turn into weeks Hiccup worked night and day to make his rings for Astrid as well as the rings for Dagur and Mala.

Do to his relationship with Gobber, Hiccup was allowed to use the supplies in his shop in exchange for part of his paycheck for the supplies he needed.

The ring Hiccup would be giving to Astrid reminded him of her. A silver ban with little blue and gold specks lining it. The top was a little square made out of copper wire with three diamonds inside separated by the copper. The bottom had a little fake pearl attached to it for a little shine, and both sides of the ring had dragon heads carved into them. The actual wedding bands they'd be using during the wedding to honer their viking heritage were gold and brown with little white designs on them.

Dagur's ring for Mala was a little less colorful but none the less beautiful. A silver ring with two red streaks along the top holding a single diamond in between them. The sides also had two dragons carved into them, and there was a red rectangular jewel along the bottom, though it was small enough to tell the top of the ring from the bottom.

It wasn't until a full three months he was finished with both sets of rings. Hiccup brought over Dagur's rings when he knew that Mala was at work so she couldn't see the rings and spoil the surprise. The same went for Hiccup and his rings for him and Astrid.

Hiccup knew that he couldn't imagine a world without Astrid in it because she had been with him through thick and thin. From his first friend to his first and only girlfriend, he could easily imagine growing old with her.

"She's going to love it." Valka whispered to her son as they both gazed at the wring and bands hidden in a black felt box. The two bands were set around the wedding ring in a cloth. The ring was in the center, showing Astrid how important she was.

"I hope she does. She deserves so much better...but this is what I can give her. I believe she'll like it better knowing it was made by yours truly." Valka smiled warmly. She'd been staying at her son's apartment for the weekend while Astrid was on a trip to her friend Ruffnut's cousins wedding.

"It's not just about the ring Hiccup. She knows you love her and she loves you. I know you two are ready." She set the box down and placed her hands on both side of her son's cheeks so he would look at her. Hiccup could never let anything fly over his head when his mother was being so serious. He respected her more than anyone-well the respect level was tied between his mother and girlfriend.

"How do you know mom? How am I supposed to believe she'll want to help me out for the rest of my life? I want to take care of her, and I'm perfectly fine with doing anything for her. I just don't know if she's going to want to take on the stress of me. I don't want to burden her."

Valka sighed and shook her head. Her son was always thinking of other people before himself. "Come here son." She whispered before hugging him tightly.

"You are not a burden Hiccup. Astrid loves you, and despite the amount of time we've spent on keeping you healthy...you've taught us so much. Both Astrid and I could never imagine a world without you in it. You're our Hiccup, and she loves you. Maybe not as much as your mother does of course."

Both Hiccup and Valka let out a laugh before sitting down on the couch. Toothless purred and Hiccup looked down at his hands.

"You thinking about something?" Valka asked. She noticed Hiccup had a pin his father once gave him in his pocket. She never knew he kept those things around. A second later Hiccup began fiddling the thing in his pocket, seeming to have a distant look in his eyes.

"Hey." Valka said and took her son's hand. Hiccup didn't look up, though a smile graced his lips when she spoke. "Your father would be proud of the both of you."


	52. Proposal

It was a beautiful spring day and today was Hiccup and Astrid's graduation from Defender City University. It was also the day where Hiccup would be fulfilling his wish to propose to Astrid in front of their graduation class and all of their friends and family.

Hiccup was in his and Astrid's room getting into his cap and gown when his girlfriend walked in. She had already gotten changed and had a beautifully happy expression on her face. Hiccup knew that if it were possible he would be completely fine just looking at that smile all day long.

As Hiccup and Astrid got ready in their apartment for graduation Hiccup was nervous, but for an entire different reason than his girlfriend. Hiccup was excited for graduation but was was worried that Astrid might say no to his proposal. As he was looking at himself in the mirror Astrid came in behind him in her cap and gown and asked him if he was okay. Hiccup simply told her that he was fine and just a little nervous for their graduation ceremony.

As they got to the school both in their cap and gown (even Toothless had his own cap in the school colors) Hiccup and Astrid walked to join the other students in the main hall, all who had nervous expressions.

 _What am I going to do if she says no?_ Hiccup began wondering as he and Astrid began walking to the stage. They were both side by side, their names being so close alphabetically that Astrid would be getting her diploma right after him.

 _Calm down Hiccup. I mean, I don't even care if I get humiliated if she says no. That's not even close to my biggest worry. If she sees this as being to soon, will this affect our relationship? Will she want to move out or not stay with me?_

Hiccup's hands were now sweaty. He took a deep breath in a-less than successful-attempt to calm himself before he went on stage.

 _This is Astrid we are talking about. Why did I just refer to my brain as a second person? Aug, now I'm going crazy! Why would Astrid, a beautiful, kind, heroic fearless Hofferson want to be with such a lunatic?_

They got closer to the stairs.

 _Now now Hiccup. Astrid has said it time and time again that she wants to with me for me. I love her, and it's like mom once said. If I can show my love to her, Astrid will love me the same. She's told me this many times. I can do this...I can do this...Oh for the love of Thor I Can't do this!_

As the ceremony went on and it was time to hand out the diplomas, Hiccup walked across the stage with Astrid not far behind him. When he stopped at the end of the stage with the ring box in his pants pocket, he got down on one knee as being too speak, _Alright, here goes nothing. Don't screw this up dork._

"A-Astrid..." _Of course I have to stutter._

"..I uh...Okay you know what, I'm just going to come out with it...there was never a moment in my life that you haven't been by my side and I couldn't be happier. We have been through hell and back. We have overcome so many obstacles and we may have not come out totally unscathed, but we have always stood by each other. Would you now want to take the greatest journey with me and become my lifelong partner? Will you, Astrid Hofferson, marry me?"

He took the ring from his pants and opened the box to revealed the ring he painstaking made for her.

Astrid cupped her hand over her mouth, her free hand holding her diploma. Without a word she held out her hand and nodded, not daring to let her tears flow in font of everyone in the audience. Hiccup didn't mind, and his face was bright as he slid the ring onto his now fiance's finger.

Everyone in the audience clapped. Dagur wolf-whistled, Fishlegs smiled brightly when he was told what was going on. Heather nodded with a small smile, the expression on her face showing how proud she was. Valka was crying and Gobber was taking pictures. All of the students in the crowd were either clapping or whistling in joy. Some girls were fangirling, and the teachers all had crossed arms and warm expressions on their faces. Hiccup's wielding teacher nodded in approval when his best student looked his way with a smile.

After the ceremony and hugs from all of their loved ones, Hiccup and Astrid took off and ran to the park with smiles (though they stopped at their apartment on the way there to get changed). Toothless played fetch with his owner, and Hiccup had one arm wrapped around his fiance.

"I'm going to admit it babe, I did _not_ see that coming. With that said..." Hiccup had a worried look in his eyes when Astrid trailed off mid sentence. That was until she kissed him deeply, taking his hands in hers. When she pulled away, she spoke in a stern, almost playful voice.

"I can't believe that took you so long to do." Hiccup couldn't help but laugh at that one, and pulled Astrid into a tight hug. They stayed like that, watching Toothless play as if he was a puppy again, though Stormfly was at home.

Despite their surprise and dazed states, Hiccup and Astrid both knew one thing for sure above all else.

The world just got a whole lot bigger.


	53. Bliss

It had been less than two weeks since Hiccup had proposed to Astrid and Dagur proposed to Mala. Things since then couldn't be any crazier as soon as their graduation ceremony ended both Valka and Ingrid started to plan for the wedding and Dagur and Mala started to plan theirs. It was decided by both couples that they would have a double wedding and the date they chose was the anniversary of the death of both Hiccup and Dagur's father to honor then because they cannot see their sons get married so they can feel close to them in spirit and feel like they are watching over them on their special day.

Days were now spent preparing for the wedding working and for Astrid looking for a job to gain experience for her career path. Both hiccup and Astrid as well as Dagur and Mala were happy with all the help they were getting with the wedding planning but it was getting to the point it were both Valka and Ingrid were badgering them with all the details for their wedding to where they told them that they need a break from wedding planning so can settle with finally with being engaged and jumped into wedding planning.

As the weeks progressed both sets of couple were enjoying their time being engaged before their wedding that would take place in a few months.

Dagur was laying in bed with Mala, both of his strong arms wrapped around her from behind. He kissed her temple and closed his eyes. A flashback of the day he proposed to her came into his mind.

 _"Dagur we have to help them." Mala said to her boyfriend. They stood beside an animal shelter, two dogs standing outside while one of the techs walked them. One of the dogs was a large brownish yellowish Bulldog with scars littering it's hide. The other was a Golden Retriever with numerous scars along its four legs, along with a white and black scar along its muzzle. Upon closer examination the couple saw that the Bulldog was missing a leg. Dagur could not help but think about Hiccup and Toothless._

 _"Do we have the money to support a family of animals?" Dagur asked politely. He himself had been saving his own money for the ring he didn't know when to use. The duo didn't have much extra spending money in their bank account as Mala had very low pay and Dagur only worked part time._

 _"We have to help them. Look at the Retriever's tag. Her name is 'Protector'. She obviously had to have earned that name somehow. I'm not going to risk her dying in vain at the hands of this here shelter." Mala stated. She normally wasn't an emotional or dramatic woman, but it was now obvious that she had a soft spot for canine critters._

 _Dagur sighed and nodded. Then an idea came to mind. He agreed to adopt the Protector and his dog friend, Shaddermaster. Once the dogs were in the care of the couple, Dagur walked Mala to a water fountain. The sun was just now beginning to set, and the young man had a great blush on his face. Mala was confused at his sudden bashfulness and romantic gesture, but that was before he got down on one knee._

 _"Mala...I have been meaning to ask you this for a while now. I'm not going to beat around the bush because I know you do not like that. You helped my brother through thick and then. You have the heart of an angel and I know that one day you will find it natural to take care of a family of our own. I need that in my life Mala, as I myself don't know the first thing about this growing up business."_

 _Dagur didn't take his eyes off of his girlfriend, so he didn't notice the many shop keepers and techs at the animal shelter staring at him. Mala had a blush and tears in her eyes. Dagur didn't know if that was a good sign or a bad one._

 _"So Mala...will you make me the happiest man I could ever be, and be my lover forever and always? Will you marry me?" Dagur pulled out the small wooden box Hiccup had given to him, opening it to reveal the wedding ring and bands his brother had made from scratch._

 _Mala smiled and nodded with her hand held out to her boyfriend, palm facing downward. She brought a hand up to her mouth in an attempt to compose herself, though her professional nature could not keep itself in tact as she answered in a cracked voice._

 _"Yes my love. Forever and always." A broad, bright smile spread across Dagur's face. He slipped the ring onto Mala's finger, before standing up and wrapping his muscled arms around her waist. He lifted her up, kissing her forehead, then her jaw, before finally setting her down to lock lips with her. When they pulled apart, everyone was cheering and clapping. Even Shaddermaster and Protector's tails were wagging while deep howls of joy escaped their throats. Mala was right in her choice to raise them._

Dagur smiled brightly at the memory. His fiance lay peacefully, her black nightgown glistening in the moonlight coming through the window and her hair a beautiful mess. They'd be together forever, protecting each other through thick and thin.

Just like Hiccup and Astrid.


	54. Wedded

**(A/N) Oof. Sorry again that these are becoming really short, but I hope this chapter of pure shipping helps with the disappointment! If we are to keep making these big updates with three-four chapters at a time, the chapters themselves will sometimes be shorter ranging between 600 and 1,000 words.**

It was a lovely winter day and it couldn't be any better for today was Hiccup and Astrid's wedding as well as Dagur and Mala's. The two couples decided to have an outdoors wedding at Defender City Park. Hiccup was beyond nervous, so was Dagur, but he hid it better than Hiccup.

Hiccup was in a white suit with golden accents. Dagur wore a similar suit to Hiccup's, and their pets were dress up for the occasion with Toothless was wearing a red bow-tie, Stormfly wearing a flower crown, Shattermaster-a bulldog belonging to Dagur-wearing a green bow tie, and Protector-who was an ash colored German shepherd was wearing a black with gold accents bow tie. Astrid and Mala's dresses were similar but there was only one color difference. While Astrid's dress mirrored Hiccups suit, Mala's dress was more bold with it being black and gold.

Hiccup was shifting back and forth at the altar trying to keep his nerves at bay. Dagur-being the boy's brother-see this quickly and told his little brother,"Take it easy there little bro. You have nothing to worry about, and to be honest I am nervous for today as well."

Hiccup was surprised by this. His half brother rarely showed fear, and when he did he hid it well.

As the ceremony was about to start and the music was starting both Astrid and Mala walked down the aisle, each having a bouquet of flowers in their hands. Time seemed to slow down as Hiccup looked at Astrid and she looked absolutely stunning in her dress. Hiccup couldn't hardly speak. the same could be said about Dagur and Mala.

Astrid and Mala both stood in front of their husbands. Hiccup and Astrid were on the left side of the stage, Dagur and Mala on the right. In the middle stood a tall vase of flowers, and behind it stood a man with a pamphlet in his hands.

"Do you, Hiccup Haddock, take Astrid Hofferson as you lawfully wedded wife?" The man asked, smiling at the young couple who could not take their eyes off of each other. Hiccup said "I do," and wrapped the little golden and white peace of silk around their wrists from the outside. He slid Astrid's wedding band onto her.

"Do you, Dagur Haddock, take Mala Defender as your lawfully wedded wife?" Dagur nodded, saying I do, before doing the same thing his brother did. The same thing was mirrored with Astrid and Mala. Finally the two men were allowed to kiss their brides, both of them removing their hands from under the silken cloth to cup their lover's cheek in order to show them just how much they meant to them.

After the ceremony was over, Hiccup and Astrid along with Dagur and Mala danced to their wedding song, 'Return by Alexander Ryback'. The crowd slowly joined them, danced to the playlist of songs, before sitting down for a formal dinner which consisted of wedding cake, roast, meed, juices for the kids, all sorts of chocolate covered deserts, blueberry cobbler, and a sea food buffet. Valka had also brought in three replicas of her homemade pumpkin pie which everyone raced to get to before it was gone.

That night Hiccup and Astrid headed home in their own car. Dagur and Mala were taken home by Heather who was stopping at the apartment on the way.

The world may have gotten bigger, but now the young couples were taking it on as a team, together.


	55. Worry for the heirs

**(A/N) Just because this IS a honeymoon chapter and Hiccup and Astrid now have freedom together, I am putting a small warning on this one for VERY MINOR sexual content. Hope you guys and gals appreciate this shorty of a chapter anyways!**

Both Hiccup and Astrid as well as Dagur and Mala were high on endorphins from their wedding and reception party. While they decided to share a wedding, they didn't want to share a honeymoon. Why as Hiccup and Astrid when to a small island resorts called Itchy Armpit Resorts, Dagur and Mala went to Canadian Clay for their honeymoon.

Hiccup and Astrid Haddock's honeymoon was wonderful. They spend their time walking on the beach, having romance diners, swimming in the ocean, and just enjoying themselves.

During their honeymoon there was something that was bugging Hiccup. Astrid asked him what was wrong one night and that was when Hiccup said he was worried about when would they start to plan for a family and if their kid(s) would have NF like he did. He knew that NF was a genetic condition, and it would likely be past on to his kids but he couldn't help but worry, so later that night Hiccup decides that he needed to talk to Astrid about his worries about starting a family in more depth while they were relaxing the next day.

"Hiccup...even if we did have children and they had what you have, it will all be okay. Look at you! You've come _so far,_ and you really think about it we probably wouldn't be nearly as close as we are now if you didn't face what have. There are some good things about this, it's all just a matter of perspective."

Astrid kissed her husband passionately who smiled bashfully when she pulled away. She hooked her fingers under his chin, making him look at her with those innocent green irises of his. They both shown with curiosity, but also worry that Astrid herself understood.

"Hey, no matter what happens to our kids one day-if we do produce heirs at all-I will love them. _We_ will love them. You and I are a team babe. Don't you ever forget that."

For the rest of that next few hours of daylight they had left, Hiccup and Astrid researched things they could do to prepare for their children-both disabled and disabled-so they were prepared for everything. By the time nightfall came around, the two were totally wiped out. They lay in their hotel bed, the sounds of the ocean and softly playing music nearby putting them at ease.

"I love you Hiccup." Astrid whispered to her husband. She lay behind him with her arms wrapped around his middle. One of her hands came up to play with his hair, her warm breath on the back of his neck occasionally making him shiver as goosebumps ran up his spine.

Hiccup sighed and nodded his head. His gaze was distant, though he was no longer worried. He was simply content with being there in her hold, Astrid playing with his hair like she had many times before when he'd have migraines. The young man lay shirtless, enjoying the feel of his wife's skin on his do to her especially loose blue tank top. She wore simple spotted shorts along her muscled thighs.

"I love you too milady." Hiccup whispered. He rolled over so he was now facing her, pecking her forehead and allowing the kiss to linger. When he pulled back the married couple wrapped their arms around each other, comfortable in the embrace which allowed them to grow tired and nearly fall into dreamland.

"I could spend eternity like this Astrid. Just you and I holding each other? I never believed this dream would become a reality." Astrid chuckled with a blush, kissing her husband deeply.

"Speaking of which, you should actually go _into dreamland_ now Mister Haddock. We've got a big day ahead of us tomorrow." Hiccup smiled and raised an eyebrow playfully.

"Oh? What are the plans for tomorrow milady?" Astrid playfully punched him in the shoulder, burying her face in his chest.

"You'll see." Was the last thing she whispered before they both fell asleep.


	56. Talk about pregnancy

It had been a full two months since their honeymoon and Hiccup and Astrid talked about having kids and their concerns about their kids having NF. They thought that it would be a good idea to have kids with in the next year so they can actively plan how they will deal with the possible outcome if their kid(s) having NF like their father does, but on the plus side the couple would have experience with dealing the diagnosis as they started to plan the family.

One day while Dagur and his wife Mala along with Heather were visiting Hiccup and Astrid as well as Valka, Hiccup asked his mother how she and his father were ready to have kids. This was on the minds of both Heather and Dagur because they didn't know how their mother and father met each other. The same could be said about Hiccup and his parents even though they shared the same mother. This slightly caught Valka off guard for a moment but she was happy to answer this question because she did have experience with planning to have kids in a relationship.

"Your father and I...we were very different. Over time the two of us grew close and before we knew it...we were planning for Hiccup. I'd already had experience with Heather and Dagur, so it came easily to plan for another son. Hiccup was a bit of a surprise...born early and rather quiet. When we realized how damaged his leg was, _that_ was when things actually started getting so stressful."

Hiccup, Dagur, and Heather all watched their mother with curious eyes as she spoke. Valka smiled. Despite her children being full grown adults now, they were still the curious children she once knew who were always eager to know more. A little version of themselves lingered deep within their minds, making the mother happy. She'd always feared they'd drift away from her as they grew, especially her youngest son.

"It wasn't that we didn't love Hiccup just the way he was. The problem was that no one was giving us answers. When he was three we were forced to move, and when we finally found the right medical professionals-Fishleg's biological mother Ingrid-the solutions we were offered were...hard to accept so to speak."

"Mom... _knowing_ what I needed, but being afraid of the outcomes, how did you do it? Handle everything I mean? How did you know which solution was the best one?" Hiccup was now full of questions, his curiosity getting the best of him. Astrid now stood at his side after a little while of cleaning the kitchen. She was now interested in the conversation as well.

Valka smiled and kneeled in front of her son do to him being sat down in a low chair. This reminded her so much of when she had had to have those hard conversations with him when he was little.

"I just knew what was best Hiccup. You're my little boy." Hiccup blushed and tried to back up when his mother's hand touched his cheek. He couldn't help but lean into the touch and close his eyes, an instinct he'd developed when he was young and feeling unsafe in the hospitals.

"Mooom...There are a bunch of other people here!" Valka simply chuckled and pulled her hand back. "Yes, but no one can keep me away from my child-er, son." Everyone else chuckled, causing Hiccup to blush with a bright shine in his eyes.

Astrid smiled and took Hiccup's hand. The boy yelped as he was pulled out of the room and to their bedroom. The Haddock woman sat on the bed and pulled Hiccup down with her. She kissed her husband pationatly before pulling away and cupping his cheek with her hand.

"You're mom is the best Hiccup. I'm so happy you took it upon yourself to ask her for advice." She smiled when Toothless jumped up on the bed with him, Hiccup chuckling when he was knocked over by the large lump of playfulness and energy. Before long the dog was licking his face, leaving his skin soaked in slobber.

"Ah Toothless you know that doesn't wash out!

* * *

About two hours after the talk with Valka and everyone was gone except for Hiccup and his wife. The two lay in bed, their thin pajamas allowing them to enjoy each other's presence in a way that no one else would ever have with them.

"I love you milady...and one day I want to start a family with you. If...if y-you're okay with the little 'hiccups' that might come with them. With every new life." Astrid smiled and kissed her husband's nose making him chuckle almost silently.

"I do to. Love you Hiccup. Good night."

"Night Astrid."


	57. Conceiving

It has been a year of planning and trying to have kids but it seemed that Hiccup and Astrid weren't having any luck conceiving. Their luck is going to change very soon.

It was a lovely summer's day and both Hiccup and Astrid were resting at home after taking Toothless and Stormfly for a walk but they had come back to their apartment early because Astrid was starting to feel nauseated and as soon as the got home Astrid ran straight for the bathroom and threw up three times before she had exited the bathroom. This was not the first time this has happened, and it had actually been going on for almost a week. Astrid had her suspicion on why she was so sick so she told Hiccup that she was doing a grocery run as a cover to by a pregnancy test as they did need to buy more groceries. Hiccup was okay with that and he wanted to rest at home because he was sort of tired from their walk and from last night of trying to start their family.

As Astrid shopped for groceries she picked up a pregnancy test. She had a gut feeling that she was pregnant and wanted to be sure before they went to the doctor to confirm her suspicion about being pregnant. When she returned home from the store she found Hiccup sleeping on the couch with Toothless sleeping by his side and Stormfly sleeping next to the couch.

Astrid started to put away the groceries and quickly headed into their bathroom to take the test. As she look at the test once it was complete she saw that the results were positive. She was indeed pregnant and she couldn't believe her eyes. She knew in the back of her mind she could be pregnant so soon after they first talk about having kids and their wedding. Now Astrid just had to find out how to tell her husband that she was pregnant.

First Astrid called her mother-which was really the first thing that came to mind as with many girls. Ingrid told her she should be slick with telling her husband about the pregnancy so he would have a good surprise. Astrid didn't tell Valka yet, nor Dagur, but she did tell Hiccup's sister Heather. Heather and her had become good friends over the years, and Heather gave her an idea.

"Have him sit with Toothless while your recording." Heather began to say over the phone with a giddy tone to her voice. "I saw this online by the way. What you do is give him flowers or a box of chocolates and tell him you're making a greeting video for someone and want to record him with Toothless and the flowers. What you do is tell him to say 'my name is Hiccup Haddock' in a goofy tone. He'll be confused and totally oblivious."

When Heather paused for breath Astrid raised an eyebrow. "What does this have to do with me telling Hiccup he's going to have a son or daughter?" Astrid asked. This was when Heather chuckled. "You make him say it himself! Just tell him 'okay now say 'I'm gonna be a daddy.' Hiccup will say it, realize what's going on, and BAM romantic video to keep in the diary _and_ you both get to eat free chocolates or put the flowers somewhere for a romantic dinner."

Astrid shook her head with a chuckle. Not a bad idea. "You really are something. You know that Heather?" Heather only laughed. "I am Hiccup's sister. Gotta go now, Tuff and I are heading to the skating rink with Ruffnut." Astrid smiled at that. She was proud of Heather for dating Tuffnut _and_ being able to accept that he had rather weird attachments to his twin at the same time.

Once Heather hung up the phone Astrid did as the girl had instructed. She had Hiccup sit on the couch with Toothless before the young man could even put on a shirt of comb his bed-head. Hiccup did as told, holding a small heart shaped box of chocolates and wrapping his free arm around Toothless. His right leg was crossed in his lap and his left half-leg hung limply against the tan colored chair lacking its prosthetic.

"I'm making a greeting card for Valka and my parents. Care to introduce yourselves babe?" Astrid asked as she began recording. Hiccup nodded, completely confused but obliging with his wife. "I'm Hiccup Haddock and this is Toothless."

Toothless wagged his tail as his name was mentioned and Astrid laughed. "Okay. Now say...'I'm gonna be a daddy.'" Hiccup nodded and said it, but as soon as he was finished his eyes widened and he stood balancing awkwardly on his one leg.

"You're pregnant?" Hiccup asked quickly, a goofy grin on his face. Astrid sat the camera down at an angle so it was still recording them. She nodded her head with a bright smile and opened her arms. Hiccup let Toothless go, tossed the chocolates to the side, and wrapped his arms around his wife. He lifted her up just enough so they were eye level and could kiss deeply, though quickly had to let her go as his one leg began to give out.

Tears were in both of their eyes. Hiccup wouldn't let his wife go, and before she could say anything her husband was badgering her with questions and requests to please her needs.

* * *

A few months after Astrid found out she was pregnant she went to the doctor. They didn't want to know the gender of their baby until it was born, but did want to see it on pictures to keep in a scrapbook every month or so.

The shocking news was what the doctor said. He said that Hiccup and Astrid were not going to just be having a gender reveal at the birth. There would be _two_ genders being revealed.

Both soon-to-be parents were happy their children were okay, but beyond shocked at the news. Oh Thor they were having _twins!_


	58. Pregnancy is tough

**(A/N) Here's a double update for you guys and gals! Hope you enjoy!**

It had been a rough few month since they found out that Astrid was pregnant with twins and things couldn't be happier. The same could be said about their friends and family once they told them the news, although Astrid's morning sickness was rough on her and her cravings for weird food was starting to take its toll on Hiccup and testing his Culinary skills. They both know that this was going to be a long nine months.

As the months drew on Astrid was getting to the edge of her rope with this pregnancy with all the bed rest that she was on and all the doctors appointments to check the health of her and the twins and they weren't going to find out the genders of the twins they wanted to be surprised when their twins are born which was six months away but they were told that with twins she could possibly go into labor early. Both Hiccup and Astrid understood this and had a plan just in case she was to go into early labor.

During the pregnancy everyone-mostly their parents, heather,and Dagur-were pressuring them to find out the gender the twins are and it was really starting to annoy them. The soon-to-be parents kept telling them that they would have to wait until they were born to find out the gender of the twins.

Currently Hiccup and Astrid were sitting on the couch in their apartment with Astrid laying back against her husband. Hiccup wasn't working for the time being so he could take care of his wife. The duo listened to music on the television as they relaxed.

"I can't believe we're going to parents to _twins_ milady. Can you even begin to imagine it?" Hiccup said as he braided his wife's hair. Astrid sighed in contentment as he messed with her hair, allowing her guard to be down around her husband so he could see her soft side. He and Heather were really the only ones allowed to see this side of her.

"I know. We'll make it though." Astrid tugged away from Hiccup's hands who obliged and let her go. She turned in her seat so she could kiss him. When she pulled away she lay back against him again and closed her eyes. "We can do anything together."

Hiccup nodded in agreement. They certainly could.

* * *

About a week later.

Hiccup was in the kitchen making dinner for he and his wife. Astrid was feeling sick to her stomach again and having back pains. She decided to soak in a hot bath while her husband cooked. Said husband was making something easy and filling at the same time.

Hiccup cracked an egg into a bowl of a soup he was making. There were little bits of sausage in it along with other ingredients. His mother made the recipe and it was one of the few that were actually good. Once the soup was boiling, he pulled a loaf of bread he was making out of the oven and placed it on the counter. The bread had basil in it and little bits of lemon zest. He also had two large cups of grape juice on the counter for them. Astrid used to be a huge fan of orange, but for some reason after she got pregnant she only wanted grape. She also ate cereal _all the time,_ so this little change was nice.

It was a Saturday and Hiccup would be going back to work soon. This is why he made such a big deal of making tonight's dinner special. Romantic even. With the thought in mind he turned off the normal dining room light and instead lit the table with a lava lamp and numerous little candles. The light in the living room gave them plenty of dim lighting, but with the dining room light off they could use the more pleasing light source.

Astrid stepped out of the bathroom with a blue cotton robe laying over her shoulders. Normally she didn't like robes, but her baby bump made it hard to get anything else on easily. This was the least stressful thing for her to wear around the house on her body.

Hiccup smiled as he saw his wife step out of the hallway with her hair draped over her shoulders. He smiled at the sight of her in her robe with both hands laying over the belly their children were growing in. He was so proud of her for carrying their children and doing such a good job at it. Hiccup himself could never imagine such an experience, but Astrid said it really came instinctively to her.

The two Haddocks sat at the table and ate as they conversed. They spoke about Hiccup going back to work, their favorite things to watch on the television, and some of the funny things they did as children. The Night couldn't have gone better.

In all honesty...the pregnancy itself couldn't have really gone better.


	59. Back to work

**(A/N) Sorry for slightly late update guys and gals! Forgive me for the shorter 800 word chapter. Hope you enjoy and the next chapter will be uploaded today as well!**

Hiccup was back to work with Gobber after having Astrid force him to go telling him that she would be fine by herself. Hiccup did as told and went to work so long as someone was there just to keep her company and to keep an eye on her because her due date was growing closer and with the risk of going into early labor.

While he was working Hiccup could not help but think about Astrid. He continued to wonder if she was okay while he worked and Gobber happened to note this. "What's wrong" he asked worriedly and Hiccup let everything spill. He Explains to Gobber that he worried about Astrid and having her due date coming up so fast he was just stressing out about it.

Gobber told him that his father was like this before Hiccup was born. Stoick was always worrying about Valka while she was pregnant with him. This surprised Hiccup because his mother never told him about this about his father but he just guessed that is another way that he was like his father.

The work day continued and Hiccup felt as if the day was going far too slowly. He was distracted and cut his hand twice on a blade. Eventually Gobber became worried and put the boy on cleaning duty so he wasn't around sharp objects. Gobber told Hiccup this would be a very rare thing because work got done slower, but he was giving the boy a break because of the stress in his life. He did not want to see Hiccup come to work distracted like this the next week.

Hiccup agreed with his mentor and went to cleaning and shining sheathes for the more decorative weapons all day. He convinced Gobber-who despite being stern with him was still worried-to allow him to spend his time doing slightly harder work such as stamping details into the sheathes. He also went to work on lining twenty of the new glass cases with the colored sheets they were supposed to have in the backs where the swords would lay.

As his work day was coming to and end Hiccup decided to get some shopping done for their kids' nursery so it would be ready for when the twins came into the world. For some reason Hiccup felt that said day would be coming up very soon.

Before he headed home Hiccup got two sets of toys to hang over the two swings they had in the nursery. There were two swings, a box of toys for when the kids were slightly older, a music box, one twin sized crib, and a large blue mat on the floor of the nursery.

Finally Hiccup exited the store with the baby supplies and food for dinner. He drove home to find his sister with Astrid. They were both drinking coffee and watching a movie about dolphins. They both smiled at Hiccup when he entered the door and Heather threw herself at her brother nearly knocking him over in the process.

"So happy for you brother!" Heather shouted as she shoved herself into her brother. Hiccup smiled and wrapped his arms around her. Astrid smiled at the sight of the two siblings.

"You know Heather you should be happy for _yourself_ too. You are going to be an aunt after all." Heather smiled and leaned back punching Hiccup's chest playfully. The boy lost the air in his lungs and leaned over a little.

"You're rubbing off on her milady." Hiccup spluttered out with a redness to his cheeks. Astrid smiled and tried to stand though found it hard because one of the twins decided to start moving around. Hiccup smiled and handed the plastic bags to Heather who nodded and began putting them up. The husband Haddock walked towards his wife and lent down to kiss her passionately.

"How was your first day back at work?" Astrid asked Hiccup with a smile on her face. The young man/soon-to-be-father nodded his head with a smile. "It was okay. Missed you though." He placed a hand on her stomach, feeling one of the twins kick.

"Missed you little guys too." Hiccup whispered before pulling back. He hugged his wife and went to the kitchen where he was making pasta for dinner. Pasta with a side of cereal and grape juice upon request of Astrid Haddock.

Once dinner was eaten and Heather had left Hiccup and Astrid headed to their bedroom. They took turns bathing before laying on their bed in their pajamas. They both had a good night in each other's arms, though Hiccup was woken up a few times thanks to Astrid's occasional pained moans thanks to the rather hyper children in her womb.

This would be a long pregnancy.


	60. Helka and Asmund

**(A/N) Here you guys and gals go with a double daily update! Thanks for reading as long as you have and now we present to you Hiccstrid babies! There is also some Nordic origin here regarding name meanings. You might be able to learn something new!**

 **Without further ado here you guys and gals go and this chapter is longer than the last standing at 1,000 + words! Enjoy!**

It was the day before Hiccup's birthday and their friends and family were planning a surprise party for him, but as fate would have it Hiccup's birthday was going to start very early.

It was about two o'clock in the morning when Astrid felt a sharp pain in her stomach followed by a rush of water between her legs and she knew from what her mother and what Valka had told her that was a sure sign that she was in labor.

Astrid quickly turned to Hiccup to wake him up in a hurried panic, "Hiccup! Hiccup! wake up I think my water just broke!" as if a bolt of lighting from Thor himself Hiccup shot up with panic and concern in his eye as he asked her, "are you sure milady?" Astrid got a look of disbelief and replied, "I am pretty sure that I am in labor at this very moment!"

Hiccup took that message very clear as he rushed to put on his prosthetic leg and get dressed for he only had his boxers on. He grabbed their bag for the hospital and got Toothless. As Hiccup helped Astrid to their car- they had gotten a van as soon as they found out that she was pregnant with the twins-Hiccup got Astrid into the passenger seat and Toothless in the seats behind them as he safely rushes to the hospital.

As soon as they got to the hospital Hiccup and with some help from Toothless got Astrid checked in and contacted her OBGYN about her early labor. As they got settle into their room it was already three in the morning and Astrid had told him that he should call their family about her being in labor.

For the next hour Hiccup was calling his mother, his half-siblings, and his godfather. Lastly he called Astrid's mother and father. All of them were shocked about this news but all of them were to come right over to the hospital to witness the birth of their grand kids/nephew's or nieces/Half nephews or nieces.

It was a good half-hour before her doctor showed up to see how she was doing and to see how far dilated she was before she could start pushing. It was a long 14 hours of labor for Astrid but it was well worth it to be holding their twins after all of it one girl and one boy.

"Wow. They're beautiful." Hiccup whispered as he went to hold their daughter while Astrid held the son. They're both been on her chest at first, but then the nurse let Hiccup hold one of his children.

"For that little one-as it seems she's already a daddy's girl-" Astrid smiled when the little girl curled up against her father's chest as if to emphasize. "We'll name her Helka. It sounds like your name, but in our origin the name meant 'Divine woman'. Mine means divine beauty, and my mom's means beautiful Goddess. We're both descendants of the divine Goddess, so the name makes sense."

Hiccup chuckled and nodded his head. "I like that. She's your daughter but has a name spelled like mine." Hiccup handed his daughter to her mother and took the son. The boy-despite his incredibly new age-immediately looked toward his sister. He pushed away from his father and seemed to glare at everything in the room. Hiccup's eyes widened but Astrid laughed.

"And he will be named Asmund." Hiccup smiled and nodded his head. "Divine protection. The protector of the divine woman. I like it and the name sounds more like yours. It's obvious he's a mamma's boy." As if on cue Asmund began thrashing and wailing like the strong little boy he was. He dared not stop crying until he was placed on Astrid's chest and could once again hear her heartbeat. Helka mimicked him and began crying until her father was holding her. They both fell asleep at the exact same time, being so new to the world they were already exhausted after just a few minutes.

Suddenly Tuffnut-Heather's boyfriend who insisted he come see the twins after they were born-lay his hand on Hiccup's shoulder and looked at him with devious eyes.

"You did good my fine fellow. You both did good." He looked at both of the twins who now lay in their own bed with an almost mischievous look. Ruffnut-who was the first person who was outside of Astrid's family the Haddock woman had invited to help her through childbirth-had the same look in her eyes. It was obvious the twins had plans for the-well- _other twins._

Hiccup looked at his wife and kneeled at her side taking her pale hand in his. "We're never letting them out of our sight right?" He asked. Astrid nodded, not knowing which set of twins her husband was referring too but not really bothering to ask.

"Isn't it obvious?" She asked with a chuckle before falling asleep. Hiccup sat in the chair next to her bed and fell asleep too with his head resting on her left hand. Valka smiled and shooed the Hofferson parents away, saying the two new parents needed some time alone with their new babies.

* * *

The next day Hiccup didn't exactly get to attend his surprise party. The twins were born very early in the morning on the 29th of February (on a leap year of course), now having the same birthday as their father. They were not expected to leave the hospital for around a week or more. Do to being born early-like their father was-they did not weigh enough to survive outside of the hospital. They also found it hard to eat.

Hiccup did not care that he was not home for his birthday. Having Helka and Asmund held in his arms while their mother slept was the only gift he could ever ask for.

They were _parents._


	61. Grandparents

**(A/N) Here's a slightly shorter chapter for you guys and gals! Boy oh boy storms are CRAZY down here in Texas. Let us know in the reviews how your spring is going? Or not. Whatever you do, please enjoy this chapter of True Strength!**

It was the day after the twins were born when Valka, Dagur, and Mala as well as Heather and Astrid's parents showed up at the hospital to see the twins and to celebrate Hiccup's birthday. Because Hiccup wouldn't leave Astrid alone while she recovers and to spend time with the twins who were still in the NICU but all three of them were recovering just fine and Helka along with her brother Asmund were gaining weight steadily to the point that by the end of the week they could go home with their parents.

In Astrid's room all of their friends and family gathered with gifts for not only Hiccup but also the twins Helka and Asmund. It was decided that they would have Hiccup's birthday party in their hospital room then do a bigger party once they could take the twins home with everybody.

During the visit by Valka and Ingrid they absolutely spoiled the twins rotten to the point where Hiccup and Astrid had to intervene saying that they had all of the time in the world to spoil them. They said "Don not overly spoil them now" and that they that "they need to spread out how they spoil them" so growing up Helka and Asmund would not feel smothered as they grey.

Valka and Ingrid agreed to these terms. Agnar was already making his promises of protection to the two children who slept with their mother. Hiccup smiled at the sight of family together as he stood next to his adoptive brother hand in hand. Fishlegs had been able to hold the twins twice now, though Asmund refused to let hardly anyone hold him without screaming. He also hated being separated from his sister's side.

Helka on the other hand seemed to feel smothered by her brother despite their young age. She was constantly pushing at her brother's face with her tiny, pale, flexing fists. Hiccup was constantly holding her. Helka would not cry out if her mother was holding her, but would simply not go to sleep after eating. Her eyes would never close. When she heard her father's voice she immediately slept.

Now it had been three days since the twins were born. Helka was having a slightly harder time putting on weight. Dagur and Heather came over to see their niece and nephew after they were done working everyday. Tuffnut and Ruffnut would visit every now and again, promises of destruction and games like 'pirates' and 'cops and robbers' the second the younger twins were able to walk. Astrid vowed to never allow them to babysit the twins without nanny cams in the house and another friend-such as Heather-with them.

"How are you doing milady?" Hiccup asked Astrid while he sat beside her hospital bed. He had taken to working part time every other day until the twins came home. A week after they came home he would be working more often. Thank the Gods above-Gobber was very flexible with work schedules.

"Tired. Asmund is _always_ eating." Astrid exasperated while she threw her hands out to the side. Her heart monitor went up and Hiccup calmed her so she would not stress and worry the doctors. They both looked at the monitor slowing in silence before sharing a light chuckle and a kiss. Hiccup deepened the kiss, his right hand cupping his wife's cheek tenderly.

"You need rest milady." Hiccup kissed Astrid's forehead gently before pulling away with a blush. Astrid smiled. He was her husband and they had obviously bedded each other if the twins weren't enough proof, but despite it all Hiccup was still the sweat and bashful young man she once knew.

"Thanks babe. You rest too." Hiccup nodded and folded his arms over the side of the bed. He lay his head down and closed his eyes. Astrid smiled, lay her hand in his hair, and fell asleep as well.


	62. New mom and dad

**(A/N) Sorry guys and gals for this chapter being kind of short and a very late update. I hope you enjoy anyways! Most of this chapter was written by pandamaster97720**

It had been a few months since the twins' birth and Hiccup and Astrid all went back home. The twins' personalities were still an enigma but were blossoming. For example Helka was starting to behave like her father with all his manners and quarks as well as his stubbornness while Asmund was starting to behave like his mother but yet they were a perfect mixed of both of them.

"I've gotcha kiddo." Hiccup whispered as he sat on the couch in the living room. Little Helka was in his arms cooing while Astrid cooked dinner (she had not pulled back from insisting). Asmund was laying on his back on a mat laying on the couch. He was fine alone but for some odd reason unknown did _not_ want to be held. It was as if the little guy was simply content with watching his sister. Somehow Hiccup knew they'd both be there for each other growing up. Till the end of times.

Both Hiccup and Astrid were starting to get worried about if their kids would have NF like their father or will the NF gene **(witch is found on chromosome 17)** would skip this generation. They knew that the chance of it was high due to Hiccup having NF but it was still a fifty fifty chance of their twins having Neurofibromatosis.

Hiccup and Astrid had been keeping a close eye on the twins to see if any of the symptom of NF would begin showing up in them. Both of them were already starting to plan out a plan if the twins were to have NF and how they were going to deal with it. They had already had some experiences with dealing with NF.

For one, Hiccup had been living his whole life with it and two, Astrid helped out quite a bit with Hiccup growing up. They planned to do yearly check-ups to see if the twins would have the symptoms of NF.

As Helka and Asmund continued to grow both Hiccup and Astrid started to pick up on the signs on NF in the twins and thanks to Valka they knew what to look for in general from what she and Stoick experienced with Hiccup growing up.

Over the past few months the twins were a handful and both parents were starting to lose sleep. Hiccup was getting a lot more migraines with the lack of sleep. When the twins would constantly cry and both new parents needed a much needed break so they called Valka so they could get some much needed rest and alone time alone to take a break from their worries about the twins having NF.

"I can't believe we're already parents Hiccup. I love them but..." "They're a handful?" Hiccup cut his wife off as they sat across from each other at a cafe chatting. Astrid smiled and nodded her head taking a sip of their drink. They hadn't ordered a meal.

"It's going to be hard, but everything will be worth it." Hiccup began as he reached out and lay a hand on that of his wife's. Astrid smiled and nodded setting her drink down. She grabbed his free hand and looked him in the eyes with love and compassion. Most of all, there was trust.

"We can do anything together though. We've learned that time and time again." Hiccup nodded and pulled away to take another sip of his drink.

"You know milady? I couldn't agree more."

As the night went on Hiccup and Astrid headed home. They put the kids to sleep, showered, and went to bed for the few mere hours of sleep they'd be getting that night. Twins were hard work for sure. They would make it though.

"I love you babe." Astrid whispered as she pressed her face to Hiccup's chest. She'd begun seeking his comfort a lot more after the twins were born rather than the other way around. Hiccup knew she was just overwhelmed by the concept of being a new mother.

"I love you too Astrid. I love all three of y'all." With that the husband and wife both went to sleep in their spouse's embrace.


	63. Like a pinch of salt

It had been a few months and all their worries about their kids having NF were coming true. As both of the twins grew they began showing symptoms of NF over the past few months, the very same symptoms of NF that Hiccup had when he was younger and continued to have now as an adult. Hiccup was the one who suggested they see someone to confirm their worries.

Hiccup and Astrid decided that they would go to Hiccup's doctor he had growing up to confirm to the new parents that both of their kids had NF. Doctor Ingerman confirmed that Helka and Asmund did indeed have the condition. She told the two parents about the severity and likelihood of other symptoms showing up in the future.

Both Hiccup and Astrid took the news with a pinch of salt. It wasn't the news that they wanted to hear but they were prepared for this kind of situation if it ever happened. With Hiccup having grown up with Neurofibromatosis and Astrid having helped him so many times along the way they were ready. Well...maybe they weren't _ready_ as they still weren't even perfected at raising twins, but they were prepared and knew they'd do whatever they could for their children.

Hiccup and Astrid continued talking with their doctor and talking with Valka on how they could tackle parenting their kids and how they could make their lives the best they could while living with NF. Valka told them many stories about how Hiccup didn't speak as a younger child and the complications he had as a toddler. Some of the stories Hiccup hadn't heard and he developed an even greater respect for his mother.

After Hiccup and Astrid got to their apartment with Helka and Asmund they decided to get a late lunch ready. Asmund breast-fed while Helka slept. She wasn't really ever as hungry as her brother usually was and therefor weighed little. Fortunately enough she was still just as healthy.

"What do you want for dinner milady?" Hiccup asked as he began pulling pots out of the dishwasher. When he got silence as a reply worry began to spread through him and he turned around. Astrid was looking down with a saddened expression as she watched her son suckle.

"Hey." Hiccup began. He sat the washcloth that was previously around his wrist on the counter and stepped towards his wife. His right hand branched out from his body and gently lay on her cheek. Astrid leaned into her husband's touch with a sigh.

"What's wrong Astrid?" Hiccup asked sitting down. Lunch could wait a few. Right now something was on Astrid's mind and he was going to help her.

"Nothing babe. I just..." Astrid trailed off. It wasn't because she didn't want to speak, but rather she didn't know the words to say. Her mouth felt dry and she hated the feeling. This so wasn't her, then again her persona had changed a little-matured, if you will-after she'd learned she was going to be a mother.

"You're worried?" Hiccup offered. His wife looked at him with bright, confused baby blues. She nodded her head and smiled weakly. "Sometimes I hate that you can read me so well, but sometimes it comes in handy." She freed one of her arms to playfully punch him like she used to do when they were teenagers. Hiccup-over used to the odd method of showing affection-took the slight rush of pain like a champ and chuckled softly.

"We're going to get through this Astrid. They're strong, like you, and in the end they'll be okay." Hiccup placed his hand under his wife's chin so she would look at him. Astrid smiled though there was still hidden worry behind her eyes.

"Just like when you used to help me. Our family can do anything if we rely on each other. You know that." Astrid nodded and leaned in to gently peck his lips. Hiccup deepened the kiss a little with boldness in his soul before pulling back and smiling once more.

Just as Hiccup began walking back to the kitchen he heard Astrid call over to him with a lighthearted voice.

"Oh and can you make Macaroni and mushrooms?!" He couldn't help but laugh.

 **(A/N) So yeah maybe this chapter was a tiny bit angsty, and _maybe_ it was a bit rushed, but honestly I'm proud we're so close to being done with the story (and by close I mean about 37 chapters left) and I do surely hope that you guys and gals reading like it as well. You're amazing!**


	64. It's happening again

With the newly diagnosis of NF for the twins, both Helka and Asmund were very active when being compared to other kids their age of only a few months. Hiccup's back was starting to hurt again the fact that he was pushing himself to the point that Astrid was getting concerned about him and how his back was handling their two active kids made him worry some.

On numerous occasions Astrid had voiced her concerns about her husband because there hadn't been a moment's rest for him since the twins were born. From being on his feet most of the day at his job with Gobber, to helping out with twins at home, his back hadn't had a proper rest in a good while.

Hiccup would continuously tell Astrid that he was fine and that he'd been taking it easy. He tried to convince her that he was not working that hard with taking care of the twins and working his jobs, but what Hiccup didn't know was that there would be consequences of not listening to Astrid in taking it easy and letting her help him.

As the days continued to turn into weeks, Hiccup continued to push himself beyond his means. He was not setting boundaries for himself. Valka and the rest of their family were growing concerned as well as Astrid. They found themselves wondering if he'd be okay.

Hiccup currently found himself sitting at his desk with his back brace secured tightly. He'd taken pain medications and taken some time to himself while Astrid fed the children. Toothless was curled up at his feet. The older dog whined continuously. It was as if years of being with his boy had heightened his senses, and the connection the dog had with Hiccup let him know that the father was in pain. Toothless didn't know where the pain was coming from, he just knew Hiccup hurting.

"What's going on with you bud?" Hiccup asked with a sigh. He didn't even bother to look down at the dog on the floor.

Hiccup's teeth chattered together and his palms were sweaty. He knew he wasn't running a fever, but his body was rather reacting to the pain in his back that shot up his spine. His head hurt so badly he felt dizzy and and his brain was trying so hard to numb the pain in his torso that he nearly passed out.

Toothless barked in response to his owner's question, a grunt and whine following loosely behind. Hiccup nodded his head, somehow understanding what his service animal was saying. They just had that kind of odd, close bond that most people had never seen before.

"I know. I just don't know what to do." Hiccup felt the urge to head to the restroom and tried to stand up. What surprised him was when his forearms practically glued themselves to the desk. He could stand without a needle like pain running up his back. His leg was sore too, but he couldn't shift enough in his seat to adjust it.

Hiccup wanted to tell Toothless to go get Astrid. He wanted to ask her to help him remove his prosthetic. There was still that selfless, prideful side of him though. Astrid was already dealing with so much taking care of the twins. He couldn't take the attention away from a pair of his own children.

He always needed help and he hated it. Hiccup was stubborn and wanted to do things on his own. He found himself mentally refusing to ask for help no matter how bad his pain was.

"Alright bud. C-Can you help me out with something?" Toothless' ears perked up and he stood up immediately. Hiccup could've sworn he saw the canine nod his head. The thought made him smile ever so slightly.

"I have a looser shirt in the bottom drawer." Hiccup pointed to his dresser and hoped to Thor Toothless could somehow understand him. "I think it'll help."

Toothless wagged his tail and sure enough was able to pinpoint the shirt and drag it to his owner. Hiccup smiled and removed his current shirt with some struggle. He pulled the new loose tunic over his head with much more struggle. His arms just didn't want to move and he had a feeling he knew why.

He managed to make it through the rest of the day without Astrid's help, and used the excuse he was feeling a little under the weather to avoid moving from the bedroom for dinner. Things seemed to be working out for him. At least he thought so.

What no one knew was that what is going to happen in the next few days is going to show Hiccup in the most painful way that he should have listened to everyone.


	65. Bed ridden

Hiccup couldn't believe how much pain he was in. So much so that he couldn't get out of bed without help from Astrid and he knew that he should of listened to Astrid and take everything easy when he had the chance. Now he was suffering the consequences of pushing himself far harder than he should have.

Astrid had to hold herself back in telling Hiccup "I told you so". Hiccup could only do so much while he recovered and thankfully he had his mother to help them out while he was recovered during the week. While Hiccup recovered Astrid took charge of what needed to be done in their apartment and taking care of the twins, Hiccup could help out with the twins only if he was sitting on the couch feeding them or lying down on the couch or their bed with the twins when they would take their naps. Hiccup could only do little things to help out, but for the most part needed someone to help _him_ out.

During this past week Astrid was doing double duty in not only taking care of Hiccup and the twins, but also taking care of the apartment. The Haddock mother was beginning to reach her limits in taking care of both Hiccup and the twins and she was thankful for the help that her mother and Valka were offering them regarding the care of the twins for the week so she could focus on helping Hiccup recover more often.

"I'm sorry milady. I should've listened to you." Hiccup said with a hiss when he tried to move. A stinging sensation shot up his left leg and through his back. Astrid sighed and shook her head with that 'you are so hard to handle' look. Sometimes she felt like she was taking care of three kids instead of twins, but she knew Hiccup was a great father when he wasn't being a total goof.

"It's alright babe. You had the right intentions." Indeed Hiccup did. Despite the end result being so stressful for the family, Hiccup was originally pushing himself so hard because he wanted to be a better father and help his wife as much as he possibly could.

Hiccup smiled warmly and reached up with his arms. Astrid leaned over him and wrapped her arms around his neck. She lay on the bed and rolled onto her side so her right ear was pressed against his chest. Hiccup smiled warmly. The thought of his wife being so content to just lay there listening to his heartbeat warmed something deep within. He was proud she was his and he was hers.

"I know. I just...I was trying so hard and in the end I just put more stress on you and the kids. Especially now that we know they have the same thing I do..." Hiccup trailed off as if he was lost in a dream. Astrid ran her fingers through his hair, flinching when she heard him gasp almost silently. She knew he was hurting.

"Do you need anything? Pain medication or help adjusting?" Hiccup shook his head with a sigh.

"I already took my medication earlier because of a migraine. I can't take anymore for a while or i'll be really nauseous." Astrid nodded in understand and continued to run her fingers through his hair. She hoped it'd help him. Hiccup was a lot to handle, but she loved him more than anything else in the world-well except her kids of course.

Valka was currently handling the kids at a park where she took them to go bird watching. This meant Hiccup and Astrid had a moment to themselves. The married couple spent around an hour just chatting and laying there. Astrid listened to her husband's heart and continued detangling his hair in an attempt to sooth him. Hiccup occasionally had to switch up positions to make himself more comfortable, but in the end he was content to have his wife there helping him.

A few hours after Hiccup had a good rest Valka entered the house with the twins in their stroller. Asmund was surprisingly sound asleep why as Helka was the one squirming around and wanting to get out of her restraints. Hiccup-with the help of his wife-was on the couch in the living room and smiled when he saw his mother enter the house with his kids.

"Hey sweet heart." Hiccup whispered soothingly to Helka once she was close enough for him to unbuckle her and lift her into his arms. Helka squealed loudly while spitting a little in frustration before clinging to her father's chest tightly. Hiccup sighed loudly when he saw his daughter make a dramatic scene in order to let everyone know she was upset. Once she got comfortable in her father's arms she pressed her face to his chest and fell asleep within a minute. Valka let an overwhelmed look take over her facial features and Hiccup wondered if he'd ever been this difficult.

"Hey kiddo? How are you?" Astrid kneeled in front of her son's stroller when he started waking up thanks to the loud noise his sister was making. The young Haddock boy almost looked angry as he scanned the room. When he saw his sister in the arms of their father his expression softened and he nodded his head as if satisfied. He held out his arms and laughed when Astrid lifted him into the air before sitting him on his play mat where the boy immediately went to playing with one of his light-up toys while laying on his stomach.

"How are you doing my boy?" Valka whispered to her own son who had a tense expression.

"I'm alright. Having Helka here helps me take my mind off of things." A sudden twisting feeling made Hiccup's amputation sight throb and he couldn't help but hiss in pain. Once the moment passed though he sighed in relief and smiled genuinely.

"I'll be okay. Eventually." Hiccup mumbled with a weak smile after seeing his mother's expression grow worried. Valka nodded her head with a sigh, gently placing a kiss to her son's forehead.


	66. Take your kid to work

**(A/N) This one is a pretty short chapter at only 650+ words, but I hope you guys and gals enjoy this double update!**

The twins were now a year old and it had been a year since the twins were both diagnosed with NF. Hiccup and Astrid decided to take their kids to work with them as their jobs were allowing parents to have a 'take your kid to work day'. Hiccup took Helka while Astrid took Asmund.

Today was an average day for Hiccup and in between orders Hiccup was taking care of his daughter and showing her around the forge while still being safe about it. Helka was beyond intrigued with all of the stimuli around her regarding the work that her daddy was doing.

"What are you doing baby girl?" Hiccup asked his daughter who was tossing different tools around. Helka screeched loudly which she tended to do often if she was over exited. Hiccup flinched but didn't need to cover his ears because this was a regular occurrence.

"I'll take that as you want to be left alone?" Helka didn't really understand what her father meant, but she grunted with a smile making Hiccup chuckle. She laughed out loud because she knew she'd made her father think she was funny. She continued making the same grunting sound and through a few hammers off the desk she was sitting on.

Astrid was having a field day with Asmund at her job and trying to keep him out of trouble. He was like Hiccup in that way that he attracted trouble like a magnet, but he was like her as well with her stubbornness and determination. The same could be said with her daughter Helka that she was just like Hiccup but had some of her aspects as well. Both of their kids were a perfect mix of both of their parents and both of them couldn't be happier.

As the day progressed Hiccup and Astrid decided to meet up for their lunch break and switch of their kids so the second half of the day Asmund would be with Hiccup and Helka is going to be with Astrid so both their kids could see what their parents did for a living.

"You like that?" Hiccup asked Asmund who was currently holding a wrench and examining it intently. Helka had simply wanted to put her hands on everything around her, but Asmund on the other hand seemed to deeply enjoy the learning experience. Hiccup couldn't be more grateful to have a son who enjoyed the same things he did.

Asmund said nothing as he wasn't one to speak much. Hiccup had been the same way so this was partially to be expected. Instead the boy threw the wrench on the floor and tried to climb off of the desk his father had set him on.

Hiccup quickly grabbed his son before he could hit the ground when Asmund slipped while climbing. After soothing his son Hiccup gently scolded him telling him that the forge could be dangerous if he wasn't careful. Once Asmund seemed to wrap his head around the concept of danger and actually started listening to his father's lecture Hiccup smiled with a nod and handed the male twin a piece of leather and paint.

For the next half-hour Asmund spent his time painting scrap leather. Gobber was out of the shop today so Hiccup was spending the work day making decorative weapons and fixing machinery that costumers would be picking up tomorrow and Monday.

After Hiccup and Astrid got off work they took their kids home for dinner. Asmund dug into his food though Helka needed a little coaxing. Toothless was happy to see the kids and the old dog played with the duo for a while giving the two Haddock parents time to watch a movie together. After the movie they gave the twins their baths and went to bed with smiles on their faces.

Today had been a hard day but it was worth it.


	67. New house

**(A/N) Really sorry about the really late update guys and gals! I'm in fast-track classes for my Certified Nursing Aid license and with fast-track comes a LOT of homework (we're talking a semester's worth of work getting done in three weeks). Please bear with me!**

The Haddock apartment was starting to get cramped with two dogs and all of the twins' toys. After much conversation it was decided that it was now time for Hiccup and Astrid to find a house for their family. As they searched through hundreds of openings they finally found one that they both loved

The house was just outside of Defenders City in the country on five acre of land. It was big enough for Astrid to start her passion of leading an equestrian therapy ground and for Hiccup to start his own forging business. The house itself was a two story farmhouse with five bedrooms and four bathrooms. Yeah, it was bigger than what they needed, but they at least knew they would have room for family when they visited and have room to expand their family when they were ready to. They also knew that they would add their own Viking aesthetic to the the house that they once had in the apartment.

"I'll take care of Asmund and Helka while you put stuff away." Astrid said as she lifted yet another box full of stuff onto the couch. They were still in the process of moving into their own house.

"Yeah, yeah. Make the peg-leg do the hard work." Hiccup said jokingly. Astrid laughed and kissed him with a wink. "Only because I want to spend time with these little bundles of joy." She lifted Asmund (Helka was asleep) into her arms. The little boy squealed and tried to grab his mother's hair though Astrid moved out of the way quickly with practiced ease.

"Uh huh. Yeah, whatever you say." Hiccup said with mock-sarcasm. Astrid knew he was just being the man-child she had married and simply chuckled while making remarks about 'Daddy being Grumpy' to her son who urged her on with high fives and claps. Hiccup grunted and blew his hair out of face, kissed his wife's shoulder, and got to work.

* * *

After they'd got done with most of the move-in, Hiccup and Astrid decided to have a house party with all of their family once they get settled in and got any renovations the house may have needed done. Some of the changes that they made were putting in a shower chair and rails in their bathroom, having an open consent on the main floor to make it easier for Hiccup to move around, and having more room for their kids and dogs to play.

"This is great huh?" Hiccup asked his wife as he watched their families have fun at the mini-party. Valka and Ingrid were chatting it away, Agnar had gotten into a fun conversation with Snotlout's dad Spitelout, the older twins Ruffnut and Tuffnut had brought their two headed snake and were scaring the Haddock twins with it, Toothless, Meatlug, and Hookfang were barking at each other and pouncing on each other near the speaker that played music ever now and again, Heather was having fun with Tuffnut and Helka and Asmund, and members of the family-such as Dagur and Fishlegs-were raiding the snack bar which consisted of hot-dogs, chips, a punch bowl, different fruits placed on a black tray, vegetables lay in a way that made a 'picture' of a viking helmet, cheese squares, marshmallows, and cheese cake.

"Yeah. Seems like it's been forever since we all had a family gathering." Astrid laughed when she saw Fishlegs move away from the snack bar and start a conversation with Ruffnut who had-for reasons unknown-decided to take up sign language. Perhaps it was because of her relationship with the blind-deaf Haddock boy.

Astrid smiled when she got an idea and spun around so she was looking Hiccup in the eyes. She looked at her mother who smiled knowingly and put a slower song on the music player.

"Dance with me babe." Astrid said playfully. Despite the many things they'd done with each other, Hiccup still blushed and nodded enthusiastically as if they were still simple young lovers.

"Whatever m'lady wants." Astrid smiled brighter and pulled Hiccup to the middle of the carpet. She danced with him, a bit faster than the song intended, but they both didn't care. Asmund and Helka watched them with laughs, clapping their hands and smiling brightly. Ruffnut and Tuffnut were now arguing about who got to hold Barf and Belch next.

Once Hiccup and Astrid were tuckered out they both fell back onto the couch chuckling. Astrid fell back into Hiccup who caught her and wrapped his arms around her. He touched his forehead to hers while panting heavily after the mini-workout.

"I could get used to this." Hiccup whispered. Astrid rolled her eyes and kissed him tenderly.

"We already are." With that they both separated-Dagur clearing his throat awkwardly may have induced such actions-and leaned against each other while they watched the party go on.


	68. New forge for New house

**(A/N) Here's another later-than-it-should-be-update for you guys and gals but it's over a thousand words!**

It had been a busy few months for Hiccup and Astrid. From getting Hiccup's forge set up to Astrid getting her horses for her equestrian therapy and getting clients for both of their businesses. Gobber had helped Hiccup get his forge set up and to make sure he had everything he needed to run his own forge, while Mala helped Astrid with her horse therapy and helped her with it when she wasn't busy with her own therapy work.

Within a few months their work caught the eye of the local and world news stations wanting to do a story about them and their business and why they decided to start them. Both parents were more than willing to do this and to spread awareness for NF, and to show that even living with NF you can do great things with your life and achieve your dreams.

Later on that night Hiccup found an injured pure white dog in the barn Toothless was in with him. The white dog who Hiccup had to guess was female was very calm around Toothless and seemed to be less scared of him and Toothless by the minute. Toothless-being the smart dog he was-followed his owner when Hiccup told Toothless to have the dog follow them to the house so they could treat her injuries. They decided to name her Luna after just 24 hours of Luna being a part of the Haddock household.

"There you go girl. Eat up." Hiccup lay down some dog food for the two dogs to eat. Toothless allowed Luna to limp towards the food bowl and eat her fill before approaching and eating as well. Hiccup looked at his wife who smiled at them.

"So Toothless has a girlfriend." Hiccup was honestly kind of surprised by the cute tone in his wife's voice. He took her hand and smirked at her.

"I never took you for a romantic. Like _ever."_ Astrid punched Hiccup's shoulder harshly as if to prove her point. Her husband doubled over with his hands in the air in over exaggeration which made her laugh out loud.

"My point has been proven!" Astrid smirked and shook her head while watching Asmund and Helka sitting on the counter with toys in their hands.

"It's just so sweet. Besides, the twins love having another dog around." Hiccup smiled and nodded his head. She wasn't wrong.

* * *

Helka and Asmund-now two year old twins-sat on the floor of their father's in-progress forge with a thick leather mat beneath them. Hiccup had already begun making weapons and selling them for decorations bringing in more money than he would working with Gobber. It seemed as if luck was on their side because with the money Hiccup was making for the time being he and his wife had the finances saved up that they needed so Astrid could invest in the supplies she needed for the equestrian therapy business she was planning on starting.

"Daddy! Asmund took my toy!" Helka squealed after Asmund took her stuffed dragon Astrid had bought for her. Hiccup turned just in time to see the two year old girl tackle her twin brother and pin him to the ground. She took the toy and sat it beside him, pinning his wrist when Asmund tried to reach for it.

"Okay you two hold up! Asmund, why do you want her toy?" Hiccup asked as he set down his hammer and approached his son and daughter. Helka got off of her brother, grabbed the toy, and snuggled against her father's leg when he kneeled down to be closer to them. Asmund sat down and grumbled with his arms crossed.

"I don't know." Asmund said simply with an angry tone of voice. Hiccup raised an eyebrow curiously.

"You do know that you have your own toys right kiddo? Just ask me and I can grab one from your box." Asmund shook his head and stood up quickly nearly falling back over.

"You and Mom have been too busy! I want her toys! I want her to play with me!" Asmund stamped his foot as if to make a point, tears welling in his eyes which he wiped with his fist quickly. Helka ran up to her brother, ditching her toy, and threw her arms around him. Asmund hugged her back and seemed to immediately calm. Hiccup looked saddened.

"Asmund." Hiccup took a deep breath and tried to find the right words. "I-I didn't kn-know you were so upset." He had no idea why in the name of Thor his signature stutter was coming into play as if he was nervous. Perhaps it was because he wasn't used to having Toddlers and having these kinds of serious conversations with them.

"Look, your mother and I have been busy. It has nothing to do with you two. We're just dealing with adult stuff so you two can have a better home to live in. Do you follow?"

Asmund and Helka both looked at each other, then at their father with shaking heads. Their eyes showed most of the confusion and Hiccup sighed with a warm smile.

"How do I put this...Helka what is one of your favorite foods to have for dinner?" Hiccup started.

"Ice Cream!" Helka squealed almost immediately. Hiccup chuckled with a sigh. "Fair enough. Asmund? Tell me one of your favorite things to do outside."

Asmund thought for a moment with a hand on his chin before smiling widely. "Build forts with Mommy!" Hiccup laughed even harder that time.

"Ever the charmer. Look, if Mom and Dad didn't do the things we're doing now, we wouldn't be able to eat desserts and get the stuff to make forts outside. If we want to be _rewarded,_ sometimes we have to do jobs like when you two do your chores. Do you see what I mean?"

Helka was the first to answer being the intelligent replica of her father she was. "Like with Angel gets an allowance for helping her Dad clean the lawn?" Angel was Helka's four year old friend who lived next door. The girl's parents had a lot of money because her father worked for real estate and would give her a three dollar 'allowance' to get soda and candy on the weekends.

"Exactly! Sometimes we don't like being so busy, but with the 'allowance' we make because of our work we can get fun stuff like forts and ice cream." Asmund and Helka both looked at their father with twinkles in their eyes.

"I want to build a fort!" Asmund shouted with his twin nodding in agreement. Hiccup shook his head with a smile.

"You know what? I have scrap leather in the back. You two can stretch that out, cut it, tear it, whatever you want and go build a fort in the trees over there." Hiccup pointed to the trees outside just within his line of site. Both twins nodded their heads and ran outside to do their devious work.


	69. Anniversary

**(A/N) This one is rather short but I hope you guys and gals enjoy anyways! Mostly Hiccstrid and some Dagala for you fans!**

It was getting closer to Hiccup's and Astrid's one year wedding anniversary and Dagur's and Mala's anniversary and both of them were planning to do a group dinner with Dagur and Mala. Hiccup and Astrid wanted to do something special for each other and Hiccup decided to make Astrid a necklace inspired by their viking heritage with their wedding date engraved along with two charms with their kids' names and birth date and their birthstones and the there would still be room to add more charms to it if Astrid wanted to add more.

While Astrid wasn't too sure what to give Hiccup for their anniversary she wanted do something that would mean a lot to him. As she was looking online for ideas, she came across a tattoo design for NF awareness and this could be something that she could do for their anniversary and it could be something that Hiccup could do with her. That was when it came to her that for their anniversary they could both get matching tattoos.

Astrid also got a a costume blade made by Hiccups favorite master blade smith with a handwritten note praising Hiccup for continue with blacksmithing despite his own limitations. After writing to him and showing pictures of Hiccup's work she just had to wait for the blade to come in.

"Well good afternoon milady. Where have you been?" Hiccup asked on the day of their anniversary. Dagur and Mala would be showing up in a little while and Valka was babysitting the twins for the next two nights.

Astrid smiled and shrugged her shoulders. She was wearing a white tank top and her usual leather skirt with black leggings beneath it. She had woven blue fabric covers over her arms clinging loosely to the tank top straps and going down to her elbows. Hiccup himself was wearing his leather black suit that had a reddish-brown chest plate and leather leggings. The leggings were hemmed so they came above his prosthetic on his left leg and he wore plain black shiny shoes. Astrid settled for her usual blue sneakers.

Once Dagur and Mala entered the house everyone went to dinner. They ordered small meals at the local cafe and gave each other their anniversary gifts. Hiccup was ecstatic to receive the letter Astrid had managed to get him, though he was a bit hesitant to get the matching tattoos just because he wasn't too keen on the subject of needles. Of course his pride would not allow him to chicken out nor admit his secret fear so he went with it and got the NF awareness sign on the back of his left shoulder why as Astrid got hers on her left calf. The idea was sweet to say the least because it represented the struggle Hiccup faced with his missing left leg.

Once Hiccup and Astrid got back home they took turns with showers and headed to bed for their first good night without the twins waking them up in the middle of the night in YEARS.


	70. Birthday for three

Today was a special day for Astrid. Today was her husband Hiccup's birthday as well as their twins' and she wanted to make this day as special for the both of them as possible.

She wanted to do something small and intimate with just them in the morning but later that night she would take Hiccup out on a romantic date to their favorite restaurant. Astrid spent the week before their birthday to shop for their gifts.

For the twins she got some enrichment toys plus some plush dragons, and for Hiccup, Astrid got him his favorite book series, two books on viking history and mythology/ legends, and a wooden scale model of a dragon.

Today was the day Astrid woke up early to get everything ready. The gifts were already wrapped and were set on the coffee table in the living room. She got the cakes. The twins each got a whip cream and chocolate sponge cake and for Hiccup she bought a chocolate and orange cake with vanilla frosting and both cakes were in the fridge in the kitchen.

She headed back into their master bedroom to see that Hiccup was still sleeping and lightly snoring. Astrid gently shook Hiccup's shoulder waking him up with some sleep in his voice he said, "Good morning m'lady."

Astrid then responded with a quiet and gentle tone, "Good morning babe and happy birthday." That was when the realization hit him it was not only his birthday but their children's birthdays. As they got out of bed she got dressed and showered before they woke up the twins to get Helka and Asmund ready for their third birthday.

"Who's ready for their birthday party?" Astrid asked the twins who threw their hands in the air excitedly. Asmund stood up and ran to his mother before gripping her leg. Helka-despite being three years old and plenty trained enough to walk on her own as she had done many times-opened her arms and made grabbing motions with her hands wanting to be held. Hiccup-ever the generous and spoiling father-picked her up with practiced ease, her ear pressing to his bare chest in order to listen to his heart beat.

"Helka's a baby!" Asmund shouted suddenly. He wasn't trying to be upsetting, but rather had an innocently observant gleam in his eyes and smile across his lips. Helka-of course-became angry and pointed her finger accusingly at her brother.

"No I'm not! You're baby!" She shouted with the slightest bit of toddler grammar evident in her speech. Asmund clung tighter to his mother's leg and simply stuck his tongue out at his sister who was still in her father's arms.

"Alright you two! Let's not argue on your birthday. This is a day to celebrate!" Helka and Asmund seemed to get into a staring contest, before they tore their gaze away from each other and nodded begrudgingly.

"Who wants a piece of birthday candy before grandma Valka and Ingrid get here?" Helka and Asmund both perked up and ran to the small table in the corner to grab a goody bag which they dug into for any trace of chocolate they could find.

"Is your father coming?" Astrid looked down with a sad smile and shook her head slowly.

"He's had a couple of problems here recently. He got drunk at a bar and got into a fight with one of his cousins, lost the part time job he was working the day after. It's so unlike him, but after all he's been through it just took that one bit of peer pressure to get him going."

Hiccup looked at her sadly and placed his hands on both of her elbows.

"Is he doing okay now?"

"Yeah. Just recovering. I didn't tell you because your birthday was coming so soon, but I promised myself that the moment you _asked_ me about it I would tell you because lying is worse than keeping a secret." Astrid had a guilty look in her eyes.

"That's a matter of opinion..." Hiccup whispered before leaning in to kiss her passionately. He pulled away when the twins were heard yelling 'eww' in the background.

"But I'm glad you were looking out for me." Astrid smiled and grabbed a hold of his hand. A knock was at the door seconds later before Valka and Ingrid answered. Toothless and Luna ran up to both woman immediately with cheerful barks and wagging tails.

"Aw! There's the beautiful girlfriend I've heard so much about! You did well Toothless!" Valka shouted happily as Toothless sat in front of her and put his front paw on her knee asking for attention.

"Sure did. Just like your son." Astrid said as she kissed Hiccup's forehead who-despite having two kids with her and being married for three years-blushed at the compliment.

Helka and Asmund were both proud of their gifts. Both got little nightlights that spun and made colored shapes shine on the walls. Helka's was Blue, Asmund's was green. They also got plastic dragon figurines and a box of link-logs to build with. Ingrid made both of them sweaters despite it being early Spring.

* * *

At the end of the day once Valka and Ingrid went home Astrid took Hiccup on a walk while Ruffnut and Fishlegs decided to spend a few hours with their niece and nephew.

"Thank you for doing this for me." Hiccup whispered to Astrid as they stopped at a park bench to have a drink and eat the snack bars they'd brought. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. Astrid laughed quietly and playfully bit his ear making Hiccup chuckle. They played like that for a moment until thunder sounded in the distance.

"Eh Buzzkill." Hiccup mumbled after the thunder caused him to tear his mouth away from that of his wife. Astrid smirked and stood quickly before punching him in the shoulder and laughing when he rubbed the sore spot in an attempt to sooth the forming bruise there.

"Race you home lover boy!" Astrid shouted. Hiccup took off after her laughing while light rain sprinkled over them. They got inside just before it started raining harder. Helka and Asmund were sound asleep on the couch nested between Ruffnut and Fishlegs who held each other snugly, sleeping as well.

"Let's let them stay here tonight and not wake them." Astrid whispered to Hiccup who nodded with a warm smile on his face.

"We owe them." Hiccup replied before they both headed to bed for one last birthday gift. Soon after they both went to sleep.


	71. Krogan

**(A/N) Hey guys and gals! Sorry for late update. This one's decently long compared to the others. Updates will be more often now that I'm not as busy.**

It was a beautiful day and Hiccup was heading into town to restock on supplies for their home and business. As he was just finished shopping and was about to head home he ran into someone who he would never thought he would run into.

Hiccup was on his way back home when his car overheated and broke down. He had to pull over to the side of the road and turn on his hazard lights before getting out to assess what was wrong with his truck when all of a sudden a bigger red truck came to the curve and an older gentleman stepped out and ask him if he could help him

For some reason this man felt familiar but Hiccup agreed nonetheless that he can help him. He introduced himself as Krogan and that is when Hiccup realize that this was one of the men that help kill not only his father but also his half siblings' father. He knew that the police were still looking for him and he needed to be discreet about trying to call the police without alerting Krogan.

So when Hiccup went back inside his truck to pop the hood he made a quick call to the police about Krogan, but also he called Astrid and his mother just so Krogan didn't get suspicious about what he was doing. He called a tow truck to come and pick up his truck so it could be taken to the shop to be fixed.

"Sorry I couldn't help you fix the darned thing." Krogan said to Hiccup in a cheery yet eerie voice. How could a murderer talk so calmly and politely to people? It took everything Hiccup had not to grab the metal rod in the back seat of the truck and smash this guy's head in...even if he would likely loose the fight. One of the biggest reasons he was able to stay calm was because he was thinking about his kids. They didn't need a widowed mother to raise them on her own, or worse, a father in prison for murder. He'd then be no better than Krogan himself was.

"It'll be fine. I called my wife. She's taking the kids to her mom and she'll come pick me up." Hiccup tried to make as simple of conversation as he possibly could so Krogan wouldn't expect anything. The man nodded his head and walked to his own truck.

"Are you gonna be fine if I leave?" The man didn't even turn around to look at Hiccup. Hiccup himself could now see a gun hanging from Krogan's pocket along with a knife pocket in the back of his jeans. He tried not to be tense and folded his arms so he could lean against a tree.

Suddenly, a siren went off. Krogan spun around when two police men quickly pulled up behind his truck and hopped out of their cars. One had a gun pointed, the other was talking in his headset and giving the others their location and a warning that they might need backup.

Krogan turned around and saw Hiccup who was now standing with his fists balled at his sides and his face holding an angry scowl.

"You called them?! Why me?!"

Hiccup practically growled and he stepped forward.

"I want you to take a closer look. Anything familiar?"

Then Krogan saw it. The pin on Hiccup's shirt that once belonged to his father. Hiccup had begun wearing it when it was around the months his father had died. It made him feel closer to the man he was so proud of for saving the lives of so many.

"I see." Krogan reached behind him to grab his hand gun when the police officer with a gun shouted loudly.

"Hands behind your head!"

Krogan smirked deviously and looked at Hiccup. The other young man knew that look and his eyes widened. Not even two seconds later a bullet was coming his way and he moved out of the way just in time. The bullet didn't hit his chest where Krogan was aiming, but rather grazed the right side of his neck. It was bleeding a lot, but Hiccup didn't believe it'd hit deep enough to hit the major artery there.

The police officer saw Krogan shoot and shot the gun out of the man's hand. Krogan's fingers began bleeding from the pure force and he shouted in pain and surprise. This sudden distraction allowed to officer with the headset to run behind the man, dodge Krogan's feet, and force the man onto his stomach. He checked Krogan for weapons, tossed his knife along with a packet of drugs that was hidden in his shirt pocket, and finally handcuffed him.

Hiccup gripped his neck tightly which was still bleeding. An ambulance drove up and a team of paramedics ran over. They placed gauze on his neck and helped Hiccup stumble to the ambulance where they sat him on a bed and administered an IV.

* * *

It'd been two days since Hiccup had been shot and Krogan was arrested. His wife was next to his hospital bed when he woke up. It was around noon and Hiccup normally woke up much sooner than this, but he'd suffered a spasm in his left leg because of the stress he'd been through. He had spent the whole night sweating and trying to forget the pain.

Now he was on pain medications because he was suffering pain in his neck combined with migraines that hadn't stressed him in a while now. Hiccup guessed it had to have been because his body had fought so hard after losing a lot of blood and had therefor forgotten to fight the symptoms his Neurofibromatosis caused him.

"Are you feeling any better?" Astrid asked her husband once she saw his eyes flutter open. She was holding Helka in her arms who was rather upset her beloved father wasn't feeling well. Asmund was sleeping curled up in a chair. The little three year old boy had spent the entire night comforting his own twin sister.

"Yeah. Could be better, but I could also be a lot worse." Hiccup smiled when Helka woke up from her nap in her mother's arms and reached out her hands for him. Astrid saw the look he gave her and became hesitant.

"Are you sure? She could pull on your stitches."

Hiccup waved his wife off and smiled warmly. "Thank you for worrying milady. She's my daughter too though and she needs me. Besides, I could no doubt use the distraction. By the way, where's Toothless?"

Astrid chuckled to herself before allowing Helka to climb onto the bed. She lay across her father's torso and curled up into a little ball, making sure not to touch his neck because of the dark black stitches there. She was simply content with listening to his heartbeat.

"I get that. Toothless had to go home last night. Your mother was having a hard time keeping Luna behaving because she was having anxiety after we left. Besides, he became protective of you when you were disoriented and the doctors were changing you IV. You tried to swat them away and Toothless thought they were hurting you."

Hiccup chuckled as well and smoothed his daughter's hair down in a comforting manner with the hand that didn't have an IV in it.

"I think I vaguely remember that. It's all kind of clouded. My leg was so sore I wasn't thinking." Hiccup nodded his head when a few blurry images came into his mind.

Astrid nodded her head and sat down in the chair her son was in, allowing Asmund to climb into her lap.

Oh how did Hiccup do these things to himself so often?


	72. Viggo

It was a beautiful spring day. Hiccup was walking through their property with Toothless when they came to the lake that was on their land taking a break when he felt an all to familiar feeling coming up behind him and this time Hiccup was ready for him. He turned around to face Viggo and had his phone recording their conversation and Hiccup knew that this could send him into a PTSD attack but he had to push through it in order to get some answers like how him and his brother knew his last name and that there some history with them and his family. Toothless was extremely protective of Hiccup and tried to put as much space between him and Viggo.

Hiccup asked Viggo why he was on his property and why he was so relentlessly trying to interfere with his life. He asked why Toothless was so important to his "business" that he runs with his brother and what connections his family had with their shady business.

Viggo only answered in almost all riddles and roundabouts question that made almost no sense to Hiccup, but he got most of what he said and with that Viggo walked away and Hiccup and Toothless stop the recording and started to head back home without breaking down. He manage to do that but only to break down against Astrid as she tries to calm him down as Hiccup tried to explain what had happened and at the same time Toothless tried to calm his best bud down.

"Okay. It's okay babe. I'll get the twins to come inside and call the police. They can come get the information you gathered. Right now you just stay here on the couch alright?"

Hiccup nodded his head as his hands shook and he sat down on the couch. He mumbled an apology to Astrid though his wife simply told him it wasn't his fault Viggo hurt him as badly as he did.

After Astrid had given the police the recording Hiccup had gotten the two officers left after making sure the husband and wife felt safe. Helka and Asmund sat on the couch with plastic toy dragons in their hands. They sat across from their father who was leaning back with his eyes closed, Toothless sitting in his lap and purring (a rare trait he had).

"They have what they need Hiccup and they are searching the area." Astrid said to her husband as she sat next to him on the couch. His eyes were closed but she knew there was no way in the world he was asleep. She removed his prosthetic and began gently massaging his leg in an attempt to sooth him. Hiccup grimaced at first as it became apparent his leg was tense and hurting him, probably do to the stress. When Astrid placed her hand over his he gripped it tightly.

"Your head hurt?" Astrid asked in a quiet voice. Hiccup opened his eyes a crack and looked at her with a confused eyebrow raised.

"How did you-"

"I'm your _wife_ babe. I can read you like an open book." Hiccup smiled warmly, one hand coming up to brush through her hair and his other land scratching Toothless behind the ear who cooed comfortingly. He was panting heavily and on high alert. It was obvious the poor dog was worried Viggo might come out of no where again.

"Toothless? What's wrong buddy?" Four year old Asmund asked as he walked up to the dog. Astrid's eyes widened in surprise that her son could tell Toothless was upset so easily. Hiccup smiled warmly and lifted his son into his arms.

"He's just a little roughed up kiddo. Toothless saw something he's afraid of while we were walking today." Helka-at hearing this-walked over as well and grabbed Toothless' ear roughly. The dog yelped in surprise and she shouted "Sorry!" quickly and brought her hand down more gently to pat the dog's head. Toothless barked happily and licked Helka's cheek who laughed brightly. Asmund laughed too and a gleam shown in his eyes. Astrid knew that look but didn't stop it, instead deciding to let things play out. Asmund poked his sister's shoulder numerous times who tried to shoo him away. Eventually they got into a wrestling match but Hiccup and Astrid let it be because they were both laughing.

"Alright you two! It's getting late. Asmund you go get ready for your bath. Helka I need you to put your dragons back in their basket."

The twins agreed, too caught up in their enjoyment to argue with their parents. While the two were getting ready Astrid passionately kissed her husband.

"I love you." Hiccup whispered once she pulled away. "Thank you for everything."

"I love you too." Astrid responded in a gentle tone. "I'll always be here for you."


	73. Baby number three

It was an average day within the Haddock household. Helka and Asmund were playing in the yard with Luna with Toothless not far behind them, while Hiccup was working at his job and watching them with the help of his half siblings Dagur and Heather. Astrid was at the doctor's office because the past week or so she had been feeling sick and she didn't know why but she may have a suspicion as to why she might be feeling so sick.

Hiccup honestly wanted to go to the Doctor's Office with his wife in case she had something serious going on but Astrid had insisted he stay at home with the kids. Hiccup had decided to invite his two half siblings over because he had still been suffering migraines and stress-induced flashbacks ever since the Viggo incident a few weeks ago. Good news was the police had sighted him numerous times and were very close to catching the criminal. Toothless was anxious as well though the twins were keeping him busy.

Once Astrid was finished at the doctor's office she went and got two custom made shirts for the twins with the exciting news she got. One of the shirts said 'I am going to be a big brother' while the other said 'I am going to be a big sister' on it.

Once she got the shirts Astrid went back home while Hiccup was working in his forge on a client's orders. Astrid headed to their home where Dagur and Heather were watching their kids. Valka was staying over for dinner as well and she was the first person Astrid told she was pregnant with her and Hiccup's third child. She asked if Valka would help her surprise Hiccup with this news and the boy's mother agreed with a large smile on her face.

It was seven at night when Hiccup clocked out and headed back to his home dead on his feet well foot relay for dinner where Astrid, the twins, his siblings, and his mother were waiting for him. Astrid greeted him with a kiss and asked him how his day went.

"The usual." Hiccup replied with a tired sigh. He flopped back onto the couch and removed his prosthetic. Astrid and Valka looked at each other with bright smiles confusing the young man.

"Hey, where are Heather and Dagur anyways? And my kids?" There was very slight sass in Hiccup's voice which only made Astrid and Valka chuckle. Astrid sat down next to him and poked his nose with her fingers.

"Now you behave mister king of sarcasm. I have a surprise for you." Hiccup raised an eyebrow with a playful smile dancing upon his lips.

"Oh really? What might that be milady?"

Valka smiled as she watched the interaction. She allowed Hiccup and Astrid a moment to share a quick kiss before she waved Dagur and Heather into the living room. Hiccup's eyes widened at what he saw and the brightest smile he'd worn in quite a while-well with the Viggo and Krogan incidents and all-seemed to just light up the room.

Dagur had his nephew on his shoulders who raised his hands in the air happily. Helka was practically attached to Heather's chest, clinging to aunt but still showing the front of her shirt that read the words Hiccup was so surprised to see.

"W-we're pregnant?" Hiccup asked a bit bewildered, his eyes gazing into those of Astrid's. That innocent, playful, creative, inventive, childlike wonder shown in those eyes and Astrid felt like-for a moment-she had back the teenage boy she'd went on her first date on with all those years ago.

"Yes." Hiccup smiled brightly and stood up, lack of a prosthetic be damned. Astrid stood up and held his arm even if she knew he could balance easily on one leg nowadays. Her husband caught her lips with his and wrapped his arms around her waist. Astrid placed both of her hands over his rapidly beating heart, her youth seeming to come back to her in the moment.

When the two pulled apart Hiccup and Astrid laughed at everyone's reactions. Heather was smiling, Dagur had an awkward face on, Valka was practically a grandmother's version of youthful giddy, and the twins were making disgusted faces mouthing 'eww' and 'Gross. Kissing' to their parents over and over again.

"Aw common you two! Mom and Dad kiss you at night don't we?" Hiccup tried to tell his kids, still balancing on his one leg since the left one had grown too sore to put the prosthetic back on. Helka and Asmund shook their heads defiantly.

"That's different! It's gross when adults do it!" Helka shouted to her father though there was a smile on her face. She jumped down from Heather's arms and walked up to Hiccup allowing her father to take her hand. If Astrid didn't know any better she'd think her four year old knew Hiccup needed help standing with his lack of a leg and was trying to help despite the little balance she herself had. She got that clumsiness from her father.

"So...why do our shirts say we're going to be a big brother and sister mamma? I don't see a baby!" Asmund shouted from Dagur's shoulders. Astrid laughed lightheartedly and grabbed the boy taking him into her own arms. Asmund tried to fight her, typically thinking being held was only for baby boys, though he couldn't help but revel in the warmth of his mother's chest.

"You two are going to _have_ a little brother or sister but it will take time kiddo. Mom's carrying him or her for you." Hiccup tried to explain to his son. Asmund smiled brightly at the idea, though still looked confused. Valka laughed and stepped forward, trading with Astrid and holding her son while the young mother went to finish warming up the crock pot meal for dinner.

"It's okay that you don't understand now little one. Hiccup didn't either when he was your age. You'll see, one day you'll see mommy carrying your little brother or sister. It's a great gift and with all gifts come waiting."

"Like on Snoggletog?" Helka tried to reason while still holding her father's hand. Valka smiled warmly.

"Yes my dear. Just like Snoggletog. He or she is just hiding from us right now. There's no use in trying to find him because the Gods above are helping him." Helka and Asmund both seemed a little frustrated by this. They wanted to see the baby _now._ With that said, they knew waiting was all they could do. No one could do something the Gods didn't want them to do. Oden and his people were very powerful.

"Okay. We'll wait. I don't like waiting though." Asmund said with slight annoyance in her voice. Hiccup chuckled and kneeled down to her height having little trouble with his missing leg. He opened his arms and welcomed Helka into a big hug.

"That's exactly how your mom and dad felt while waiting for you two Helka. The wait was worth it though." Asmund and Helka both smiled at this. They liked it when their parents told them how much they meant to the Haddock parents.

"You're right about that Hiccup." Astrid said from the kitchen. The sudden call made Hiccup jump a little in surprise and Toothless took the distraction to pounce his owner. Hiccup groaned and grumbled as he was tossed to the floor and licked all over. His body was sore after a hard day's work.

Despite the noises though Hiccup felt as if he had a permanent smile on his face. They were having another child.


	74. Complications

Hiccup and Astrid couldn't be happier that they were pregnant with their third child, but it seemed that this pregnancy was going to be harder on Astrid than when she was pregnant with the twins. Both Hiccup and Astrid couldn't find out why, and Hiccup was in a constant state of panic and anxiety worrying about Astrid. It was an instinctual feeling, something wasn't going right with their third child.

As the pregnancy went on Astrid was having a hard time getting comfortable and their baby was moving constantly and kicking her. Both her and her husband were starting to lose sleep over this so in the morning they decided to call Astrid's doctor to see if they could come in that Monday to see what was wrong and thankfully her doctor could see her the preferred day at noon.

So on Monday morning the two Haddock parents handed off the twins to Valka to watch them for a few hours as they enter drove to the doctor's office and waited to be called back.

Both hiccup and Astrid were on pins and needles waiting for the doctor to give them their news that they had been waiting for. After they set up a sonogram for Astrid they immediately saw what was wrong with their third child. The problem was simple yet devastating for two parents who had had such a simple first pregnancy. Their child was breached and it could pose a serious risk for Astrid. It was very likely that she might need a C-section to deliver this child but on the upside they did find out that this child was a boy.

The two parents were indeed worried, but above all else they decided that they wanted to name their son after Hiccup's father. The boy was a stubborn fighter after all it would seem. Stoick the second or Stoick Junior, though they decided on naming him simply 'Stoick' and letting their family call him as they would, like Hiccup's name which was originally going to be something else before literally everyone began calling him Hiccup instead.

* * *

Later in the day Hiccup and Astrid drove home to find their two four year old children sleeping in their grandmother's lap. The sight was a sweet one and Hiccup found his heart warming. Despite all that was going on with their third child, they still had these two guys to look after. They couldn't focus on the stressful situation forever, they had to be their for their children.

Asmund was the first to wake up and he smiled widely when he saw his mother home. He let out a loud "Mom's home!" Before running to Astrid and wrapping his thin arms around her right leg.

Astrid and Hiccup couldn't help but laugh at the sweet reaction of their first son. With that thought in mind, they decided it was time to tell their mother and twin children the gender of the baby, and let Valka know what the problem was. With Astrid as close as she was to her expected do date, the husband and wife decided they should try watering down the conversation and let Asmund and Helka know the changes that were going to happen as well.

"Hey mom? I need to talk to you." Hiccup smiled at his mother while rubbing the back of his neck nervously. Valka nodded her head, a confused eyebrow raised. She followed Hiccup into the back room where he would tell her around the breached baby and the gender of Stoick.

Astrid took the chance to talk to their children, knowing Hiccup thought she would be better at this conversation than anyone else. She _was_ their mother after all.

"Is the baby okay?"

Asmund and Helka both asked their mother in sync, Helka sitting up to rub her tired eyes. Astrid smiled and nodded her head. Her and Hiccup had told their children that they were going to the doctor so their baby could have a check up. Now the twins hardly understood this, feeling slightly upset because their mother could see the 'hiding' baby and they couldn't, but they eventually came to their own conclusion as to why this was. Astrid was a mom and mom's did so much for them that they got special privileges.

"Yes baby. Actually, we learned today that the baby is a boy. You're going to have a little brother."

Asmund looked extremely happy at this news, though Helka folded her arms and pouted. Astrid rolled her eyes and went to pick her daughter up.

"Boys are trouble."

Astrid whispered in her daughter's ear so Asmund couldn't hear.

"I know a little sister would be more fun, but I need _your_ help as a big sister to take care of him. It's a big responsibility."

Helka smiled at this, a devious smiling that resembled her father at times pulling at the sides of her mouth.

"Boys always need someone to take care of them."

Astrid couldn't help but snort and hold back a laugh at this. She set Helka down, putting a hand on her hip and smiling brightly. She moved to sit on the couch, the extra weight in her womb making it harder to stand for too long of a period of time.

"So is he okay?" Asmund asked his mother once she sat down. It was obvious he wasn't quite happy about his baby brother having to go to the doctor's office, even if it was just a check-up.

Astrid sighed deeply and nodded her head, hiding her nerves.

"Yes sweetheart. Mommy has to go to more doctor's appointments to make sure he's still okay, and he might be coming to us really soon."

Asmund and Helka both smiled brightly at this, that childish innocence that only a four year old could present making their faces seem to glow with happiness, oblivious to the darkness that Hiccup and Astrid were scared to face if anything happened to their child.

* * *

Later in the night once the twins were in bed and Valka had went home Hiccup and Astrid were laying in their bed, Astrid having ditched her night gown long ago because he was irritating her.

"He's going to be okay milady." Hiccup whispered as he rubbed his wife's bare back, making sure not to jostle her breast bindings because she knew her chest was very sensitive do to hormones.

"He's a fighter. Like his mother."

Astrid chuckled and rolled onto her other side so she was facing her husband. They both locked gazes, Hiccup taking the chance to kiss her chin quickly before pulling away and moving to rub his wife's sore wrists. She'd been having a lot of swelling though the doctor said that was normal with some pregnancies.

"Like his father too. We'll get through this together."

Astrid couldn't help it as hormones started getting the better of her. Despite the reassurance she had just given her husbands seconds ago, tears sprang to her eyes when she felt little Stoick kick her rather harshly, her ribs feeling like they were being forced apart.

Hiccup sighed and pulled his wife into his arms, allowing her to press her face to his shoulder, her ear resting over his softly beating heart. He whispered sweet nothings to her, knowing that despite how nervous he was, this was much harder for his wife than it was for him. He himself would be devastated if something happened to their child, but Astrid was the one carrying the baby under her own beating heart for nine months.

Things just seemed to keep getting more complicated.


	75. Stoick II

With all their praying to the gods and goddesses requesting that their third child would be okay, the baby unfortunately would not correct himself and Astrid had to be rushed in for an emergency C-section in the early hours of a lovely spring morning. This couldn't come at a worse time. The two Haddock parents were hoping that they didn't have to do this, but their doctor couldn't stress this idea enough. If Astrid tried to do a natural birth with this child there would be a good chance that either her or the baby or even possibly the both of them wouldn't survive.

With that bit of fear struck in them they agree with the doctor and that a C-section is the only way for both of them to survive and with that Astrid was rushed off for her C-section while Hiccup watched their twins and Toothless. They all waited patiently for the doctor to come back out.

For what seems like hours the doctors came out and told Hiccup that his son and wife were fine. They were finally allowed to go back to see her as Hiccup picked up the twins and hold them in both of his arms with Toothless follows them. The dog was staying by his owner's side for as long as he could because he could sense his owner's anxiety. Hiccup knew without Toothless' support and his twins he probably would've given in to migraines by now. His left leg ached as well but he couldn't think about that.

Once Hiccup enters the room and sets the twins on a chair next to the bed he sat next to Astrid who was holding their newest addition to the family. A healthy baby boy who they would name Stoick II after Hiccup's late father.

Even though Hiccup planned on naming his son after his father for a while now it still hit him hard with raw emotion thinking that his father would never meet any of his children or get to see his only son get married to Astrid or get to spoil his grand kids (even though Valka more than made up for that). It still hurt but Hiccup was still touched by the sight of his new son.

"Hey little guy. Gods you're small..."

Astrid snorted when Hiccup said this and reached out to touch the top of Stoick's hand. He smiled warmly when the baby held his finger. All of the love he'd once felt rush over him all at once when the twins were born came back for round two. Before he became a father, Hiccup never knew he could so desperately protective over one little being. So vulnerable, so innocent, and Stoick was a _part of him._ This was Hiccup's child, and no harm would come to the little stubborn mule.

"You gave your mom and I quite the scare Stoick."

Astrid could see the flash of pain in her husband's eyes calling their baby by his father's name, but she also knew giving little Stoick II that honor was the way to go. He sure was as stubborn and complicated as Hiccup's late father.

Agnar and Helka-after having a long, seemingly mysterious conversation between themselves-practically walked on their tip toes as they made their way cautiously to the bed. When they stopped Hiccup reached out his hands and put Helka on his lap. He then helped Asmund climb onto the bed.

"Is...is that him?" Helka was the first to ask, her eyes filled with wonder.

Asmund cocked his head to the side in deep thought.

"I think so Helka." The five year old asked. "That's my little brother."

Astrid felt tears spring to her eyes as she saw her two oldest children accept their little brother so willingly. Helka was the first to ask to hold the baby and Hiccup-eager to hold his son for the first time as well-held the little girl in his lap before taking Stoick into his arms and allowing Helka to put her arms around him. The experience was...breathtaking. His first time holding his son was his daughter's first time as well. He was helping this innocent child get to know her little brother, all the while getting to embrace his youngest son for the first time as well.

Astrid watched the interaction before Asmund sat up on his knees with a pout.

"I want to hold him!"

"Asmund!" Astrid snapped telling her child to calm down. Asmund lowered his head and smiled cheekily at her in that 'sorry' manner. Astrid smiled and hugged her son seeing him blush in embarrassment at the sudden scolding.

Hiccup got a resistant Helka to let go of Stoick so she could switch places with Asmund in his lap. The little boy was happy to sit with his father and opened his arms expecting Stoick II who was slowly lowered into his hold. Having only ever been a mamma's boy, Hiccup was happy _he_ was the one helping Asmund hold his brother for the first time. The look in her eyes told him Astrid felt the same way.

"Okay you two. Why don't you come over here with mom? I think Hiccup deserves to hold Stoick on his own."

Hiccup looked at Astrid gratefully as Asmund and Helka crawled back to their mother.

Hiccup's eyes gazed at the sleeping face of his son. Suddenly, the baby began crying with his arms being thrown out in front of him.

"Hey, hey it's okay Stoick." Hiccup tried to calm the baby. "I'm here for you. Daddy's here."

The baby calmed and went back to sleep, his chubby hands holding his blanket tightly. He sneezed in his sleep and Hiccup dabbed at his nose playfully, a warm smile on his face as he held Stoick II to his chest.

Minutes later Stoick woke up again and Hiccup sighed finally giving the baby to his mother so he could feed. While Astrid was having that first, important interaction with her son Hiccup took the twins and Toothless to go look at the fish tank down the hall.

"You know daddy." Helka said once they headed out of the room. She was on her father's shoulders while Asmund was holding Toothless' leash, something he loved to do because it made him feel responsible.

"I know he's a boy and all, but I kind of like my new brother. He's cute."

Hiccup chuckled light hardheartedly and nodded his head. He set his daughter down and took Toothless' leash so Helka and Asmund could go at it trying to count the many sizes of fish in the tank. They got to four many times and started over when one would swim in front of the other.

"I like him too dad. I like having someone to protect like you protect me."

Hiccup didn't know his heart could grow any warmer but it did. A young couple in the chairs nearby smiled at him, the father winking. They had a set of triplets in a stroller. Thor help them.

"You know what kiddo? I like him too." Asmund and Helka looked at their father with frowns.

"Of course you do. He's your son!"

Hiccup shook his head at his daughter's words, chuckling once more.

"Just trying to be a part. I'll leave you two to your little world." Toothless barked in agreement and followed Hiccup to sit in the chairs so the father of three could rest his leg with the prosthetic off. Yeah, Hiccup knew it would be hard to get the darned thing back on once he took it off of the swelling stump, but for right now he couldn't care too much.

Despite everything going on, his disabilities would come back to bite him, but that didn't mean Hiccup couldn't enjoy his own life and the life of his growing family.


	76. School day

It was a cool and crisp fall day and it was a big day in the Haddock household today was the twins first day of school and to say the least Hiccup was a nervous wreck seeing his two babies off. Although the same could be said for Astrid, she hid it better than her husband did.

What made the event of the twin's first School day more memorable was that the twins would be going to the very same elementary school that their parents had went to, and Mala and Throk still taught at that school so they both knew that their kids would be in good hands and they didn't have to worry about them.

Despite every reassuring thought Hiccup and Astrid forced into their heads, in the back of their minds the possibility of their NF that they might have could affect their schooling like it did with Hiccup, but the parents both knew deep that Helka and Asmund could push through anything they wanted to as long as they stuck together. They were very close twins after all with good role models in their family.

Once they dropped Helka and Asmund off at school, Hiccup and Astrid went to run some errands while Valka watched Stoick II.

Considering how time flies and how fast the twins were growing up and Hiccup and Astrid knew that before they could even blink their eyes their kids would be going off to high school and start dating and Hiccup's fear of his little girl dating scared the crap out of him though Astrid tries to tell Hiccup that he got a ways to go until he has to worry about their kids dating and starting their own lives. Besides once they do become empty nesters they still have Stoick II to take care of. This brought some relief to Hiccup but the worry was still on his mind. His children going off to school gave him all sorts of anxieties being a first time father of twins.

The Haddock parents would simply make sure not to take advantage of any time they had with their children. They would do all they could to be their children's friends, role models, guides, and shelter for as long as they needed to be.

* * *

Helka and Asmund stayed in one classroom throughout the day where they were taught basic subjects and given lunch. They only left the room to go to the playground during break and the gym during Physical Education class (where they mostly just played pass with padded soccer balls).

"I like school." Helka told her brother as they sat next to each other on the swings. Asmund nodded his head at his sister, but the movement made him suddenly groan. Helka became worried and she jumped off of her swing so she could stand next to her brother who had stopped swinging.

"What's wrong Asmund?"

Asmund shook his head and smiled weakly at his sister.

"Head hurts. I don't feel sick though."

Helka nodded her head and grabbed her brother's hand while they walked to the bench nearby. Another little girl with long white hair and really pale skin was sitting next to a little boy who was speaking in a different language and had darker skin.

"Hey. What's your name?" Helka asked the girl who was sitting with her friend. The boy looked a little older than them. The girl was practically caked in sunscreen.

"I'm Alana. This is Samuel. You?" The little girl asked. Her black tank top made her skin almost look see through. Her eyes were always squinting and very bright blue.

"I'm Helka. This is my brother Asmund. Why do you have so much sunscreen?"

Alana smiled and shrugged her shoulders. "Mamma says I'm Al..bino." She seemed to have a hard time pronouncing the big word. "I get really bad sunburns. So bad my skin peels!" Helka and Asmund cringed at the idea.

"I also have a hard time seeing. See, my pupils are grey-ish." Alana pointed to her eyes and Helka and Asmund looked closely. She was right.

"Can you see us?"

Alana chuckled lightly. "Yes. You're just a little blurry. I can't see far away really well and I have to use a walking stick. Samuel here helps me around sometimes but he's two grades higher than us. He's bad at speaking English. His mamma speaks Sp..anish." Again she had a hard time with the big words.

"I do speak English. Dad is English. It's not nice to speak of your friends like that Alana."

Alana rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Quit being so sensitive you big goof." She elbowed Samuel in the ribs who yelped in surprise. Asmund and Helka both laughed out loud.

"At least I'm not as pale as a snow day!" Samuel smirked and Anna glared at him.

"Dufus."

"Snow queen."

Helka and Asmund both looked at each other questioningly then looked back at the two friends. Suddenly the teacher called for them to come inside. They had one more hour of school left before having to go home.

"You and Samuel are friends? Can we be your friends too?" Asmund asked, his palm still pressed against his head as the bickering between Samuel and Alana made the headache worse.

"Can we?" Helka added on, grabbing her brother by the forearm.

Alana and Samuel both looked as if in deep thought before they shrugged their shoulders.

"Okay, but I can't play outside without a lot of sunscreen and Samuel can't speak full conversations without getting tripped up. Is that okay?"

Helka and Asmund nodded their heads enthusiastically.

"Sure! I think your grey-ish eyes are cool!" Helka shouted with an innocent, happy tone to her voice. Asmund nodded his head in agreement.

"Can you teach me Spanish Samuel?"

Samuel nodded his head with a smile.

"Sure my friend."

The teacher approached the group of friends, telling them to go inside for the fifth time. The four kids blushed in embarrassment before challenging each other to a race. Whoever got to their seat at the round table first won.


	77. NF diagnosis

**(A/N) Sorry for the rather short chapter guys and gals! Just working with the ideas of the story and this chapter idea didn't have much detail to go into it I'm afraid. Thanks for reading anyways!**

It was a normal day with the Haddock's but most of the morning was spent in the doctors offices with the twins. Both Hiccup and Astrid knew that the twins had a high chance of being born with NF, but they wanted to be sure if they did so they went and made an appointment with the same doctor Hiccup had had when he was younger.

The twins were actually diagnosed NF type 1 after a series of tests. With this news their parents could now actively plan on how they would be able to take care of the symptoms of NF type 1. The good thing was they already had some experience with NF type 1 because Hiccup had lived with it all his life and Astrid had been helping Hiccup with his NF type 1 since they were around three years old.

As they went home to absorb the news of the twins having NF Hiccup and his wife both knew that this was highly likely going to happen due to the fact that Hiccup had NF type 1 and therefor the chances chances of their kids NF type 1 had always been very likely.

It was also like that-do to not having it be a spontaneous mutation like Hiccup's-if their kids had kids one day it would be more than likely for Hiccup's grand kids to have NF type 1 due to the fact that they have NF and their father also had NF.

Once they actually got back home and placed the twins down for their nap Hiccup and Astrid took the time to actually talk about what the doctor had told them about their children.

Hiccup was washing up in the shower, sitting on a shower chair and reveling in the steam relaxing his tense muscles. It'd been a _long_ day.

"You almost done in there?" Astrid asked as she got dressed in the bathroom. Hiccup was behind a closed screen door so the water didn't get her wet at all. She'd showered that morning before going to work. They'd taken the kids to their appointment after school.

"Yeah! Hey, wanna give me Stoick? He _loves_ showers."

Astrid laughed out loud and shook her head at her big goof of a husband. She grabbed Stoick from his spot sitting on a pad that lay near the sink. He was leaning back against the wall and clapping his hands in interest while watching his parent's noisy interactions. He laughed brightly when he was lifted into the air and freed from his diaper.

Hiccup smiled warmly down at his son and pulled him into the shower, making sure to avoid getting water on his head. The shower pressure could cause him to aspirate the water if it ran over his face. Instead he felt Stoick close and whispered joked to him the child would never understand. Most of them involved animal jokes and cheesy stories about his powerful mother.

Once Hiccup got out of the shower and Astrid got Stoick fed the duo went to lay down.

"So...we have a diagnosis." Astrid whispered to her husband as they lay next to each other. Stoick II was in his crib nearby, sound asleep.

Hiccup wrapped his arms around Astrid's middle, pressing his forehead to hers as they both closed their eyes.

"We knew it was likely to happen. We still love them though, and love can carry us through it." He opened his eyes and kissed her nose making her smile. He always knew how to make her feel better. It's just who her husband was.

"It carried _us_ through it after all, and we were battling _high school!_ "

Hiccup dug his nose in the crook of Astrid's shoulder playfully, blowing warm air down her back. Astrid tried as hard as she could to stifle her laughter by burying her face in his chest in an attempt to keep from waking the baby up.

"You are such a dork!" Astrid whisper-shouted to her goofy husband. Hiccup only chuckled and pulled her closed, his hands resting in the small of her back.

"I'm _your_ dork though."

Their lips collided and the husband and wife kissed passionately. When they pulled apart they were blushing and gazing into each other's souls with a look of pure love and consideration.

"I love you too." Astrid whispered making Hiccup duck his head in embarrassment. They had _three kids_ and he was still this way.

"Goodnight milady." Hiccup whispered back before they both closed their eyes to go to sleep.


	78. Jealousy

**(A/N) Yeah, yeah I know the updates are kind of slow guys and gals. When you see the emotional whump coming next though, you'll be happy we waited. Please R &R and let us know what ideas you might have through PM if you're interested! BTW this story will have about 100 chapters by the time we're done with it. **

It was a normal but hectic day for the Haddocks with two kids age five and a newborn just about to turn one, both Hiccup and Astrid were extremely tired yet tried desperately to spend an equal amount of time with all of their kids. This ended up with them taking care of Stoick II the most because he was having a fussy day and was having digestive problems. Both Helka and Asmund weren't all too happy about that.

Though they tried their best to make time for them Hiccup and Astrid ended up having to tell their kids to play by themselves or with the dogs; even though they like playing with their pets, it's not the same as spending time with mommy and daddy.

Both Hiccup and Astrid did feel bad that they could not spend as much time with the twins because Stoick II had been taking up so much of their time to spend together as a whole family. The married couple knew this would get easier once Stoick grew a little, but for right now it seemed all eyes were on him.

Throughout this whole time Helka and Asmund were starting to feel jealous of their younger brother because their parents were spending more time with him and less time with them.

Helka was the one who came up with the idea being the more creative twin, Asmund being more protective and strongly built. She decided her and Asmund would color on the bottom of the refrigerator, drawing something their parents would think was funny (they wound up drawing a dog with a balloon for a nose which made both twins snicker and nearly tear up laughing). Since Helka and Asmund weren't allowed to draw on anything that wasn't paper, Hiccup and Astrid would _have_ to notice the drawing because they would be telling the kids not to do it again.

They made a plan that if they got into trouble, their parents would _have_ to spend time with them. Unfortunately, Hiccup and Astrid didn't like this at all and so Helka and Asmund didn't want to cause more trouble for their parents who were already very tired and stressed enough with taking care of their younger brother and running their business/jobs for them to make their lives harder than it already is.

"It doesn't make any sense." Helka began as she played Minecraft with her brother on the Television in her parent's room. Hiccup and Astrid usually allowed them an hour a day at most-nothing after 5 o'clock though-to play the game because it wasn't violent and like blocks and toy cars tended to help strengthen the creativity in kids so long as they didn't play it all day. The two five year olds had been playing for an hour and a half now, their parents so busy with Stoick II that they didn't notice.

"What doesn't Helka?" Asmund asked as he fought off a creeper. Their parents didn't like them playing Survival mode as much as they allowed them to play on Creative because Helka had begun having nightmares last year about Enderman, but again the two parents were too busy to notice. They heard Hiccup getting ready for work nearby, which meant they would be one parents down. Stoick II began crying _again._

"He's _always_ crying!" Helka began one of her many five-year-old rants. She yelped in surprise when a Creeper came out of nowhere, but Asmund quickly shot an arrow at it having come to the rescue seeing the creature from a mile away. Against their friends they fought each other and raided bases, like with Samuel and Alana (though Alana had to sit really close to the TV because of her eyes). Together though they were as much twins in the game as in real life, helping each other and living in the same house. Their father had even once commented on the sheer detailed design of their Minecraft homes despite the two being only five.

"He's a baby Helka." Asmund tried to reason. His sister was so distracted he had to keep a Drowned Zombie from getting her, all the while Helka was swinging at trees and getting supplies for them while her brother defended her.

"I don't care!" _Here she goes again._ Asmund thought to himself.

"He cries a lot! He's mean and pulls my hair! He's a _boy._ I'm the only girl out of two _boys_ Asmund!" Helka now had tears in her eyes do to an anger she didn't understand herself. She slammed her controller on the bed and kicked out her legs, swinging them violently on the edge of the bed.

"Helka..." Asmund didn't really quite know what to do. His father had once said 'she had tantrums more than he did because he went through that phase when he was a toddler'. The little boy did not really understand these words, but he knew Helka got angry a lot faster than he did.

"I miss Mommy!" Helka squealed, hitting the bed frame with her fist. She heard a loud popping sound and knew something bad had happened. Upon closer examination she realized her hand was only really bruises. She could move her fingers so she didn't think she broke something.

Astrid heard that last part loud and clear because her daughter was so loud. She pinched the bridge of her nose, sat Stoick II in his swing, and went to the bedroom. Hiccup-who was just about to leave out the door for work-was at their bedroom door before she was.

"Babe you need to go to work. I can handle this."

Hiccup raised an eyebrow and held Astrid's forearms with his rough, gentle hands. He looked into her eyes for assurance.

"Are you sure?" Hiccup's voice was quite. He was always worried he was leaving Astrid with too much, his job being so time consuming as it was. Astrid always brought him back to reality and reminded him they needed to do things the way they were doing them.

"I'm sure Hiccup. I'm their mother. I can handle this." Hiccup smiled warmly and kissed Astrid on the nose.

"One of these days when he's old enough I'll see about taking Stoick II with me to work. Either that or the twins. Something to give you some extra time." Astrid smiled at that and shooed Hiccup away so he'd leave for work. If she continued letting him blubber about her he'd use the distraction to stay longer.

Astrid opened the bedroom door and the sight made her heart squeeze. Helka was sitting on the bed with tears streaming down her face, both her and her brother's controllers on the bedroom floor. Asmund was sitting on the bed cross legged, cradling his sisters bruised hand held delicately in his own hands.

"What happened here?" Astrid asked with a gentle yet stern voice. She needed to show that she cared for her daughter, but couldn't let Helka think she was getting the nice attention because of her tantrums. Her and Hiccup had made that mistake with Asmund and didn't realize it until his tantrums became aggressive.

Helka flinched back at the stern tone of her mother's voice, not really hearing the gentle part because she was so angry. She looked down, shame in her eyes. Astrid smiled warmly and approached her daughter. Now that she knew Helka understood that what she was doing was wrong and not something to be proud of, Astrid could pay attention to the new situation at hand. That situation being her daughter's bruised hand. It didn't seem broken at least, and Astrid knew what a broken bone looked like because she had had many of them in her more athletic days.

"Helka hit the bed Mamma. She was sad because Stoick is always crying and he pulls her hair. She...she misses you and Daddy."

Astrid smiled sadly and reached out to both of her kids. Asmund was the first to hug her, and he wrapped his arms around Helka so both he and his mother were holding her at the same time. Astrid felt warmth flood her as she saw just how much Asmund really cared about his twin sister.

"Sweetie...I don't want you to hit things. Not just because you might break them, but because you might hurt _yourself._ Hey Helka, look at me please?"

Helka did as requested and looked up at her mother, her arms still wrapped tightly around her brother. She still had tears in her eyes though they didn't fall anymore. Asmund looked at his mother too, desperate for an answer as to why she couldn't spend time with him anymore. Why Stoick II was to important.

"I don't like seeing you hurt. Or you Asmund. I don't like seeing my children cry. I don't like seeing you sick, or angry. I care about you so much, and violence is not the answer." Astrid chuckled softly at that. Hiccup was the one who had told her this many years ago.

"I learned this the hard way guys. I used to hit stuff too, and I've broken bones before!" Helka and Asmund both gasped, cringing at the idea of breaking a bone. Astrid laughed softly.

"Don't hit things that can't hit back. It's not right. That bed doesn't deserve to be broken." Helka looked at the bed frame with confused eyes. She seemed to be contemplating what her mother was saying.

"Mamma...Can we go to work again with Daddy soon? So we don't have to listen to Stoick crying?" Asmund asked with a twinkle in her eyes. Astrid chuckled and nodded her head.

"One of these days. Sure! For now though..." Astrid looked at her daughter with hesitance. She didn't know just how angry her daughter still was on the inside but her motherly instincts told her this was the right thing to do. Helka loved Stoick II in her own sort of way.

"Helka...why don't you help your mother with the baby? Maybe he'll stop crying so much if his _big sister_ is the one holding him? It's a big responsibility because he's still so little."

Helka's eyes lit up and she smiled brightly. Then she cringed and put her small hand on top of her head as if defensively.

"Will you make sure he doesn't pull my hair Mom?"

Astrid smiled and nodded her head. She looked at Asmund who was smiling brightly at the thought of taking care of the baby like a big boy. Like his Daddy did.

"You can too Asmund. I'll pull your hair up Helka so he can't reach it."

Helka and Asmund both fist bumped each other before a loud wail came from the living room as if on cue. They both cringed at the all-too-familiar sound, and deep down hoped to Thor that their mother's plan would work. That Stoick II would calm down if all three of them were giving him attention.

That night Hiccup came home to quite a sight. Astrid holding Helka in her lap who had Stoick II laying with his head on her chest and curled up in a little ball. Asmund was subconscious brushing Stoick's hair with his small fingers in his sleep, keeping the baby's head supported in the process.

Hiccup walked up to the couch and pulled a blanket over his wife and two kids. He lifted Stoick II and sat the baby in his swing nearby. After kissing his wife's forehead who sighed pleasingly in her sleep, he moved to the recliner and decided to get some sleep before his youngest son would be waking him again.


	79. Meeting Aunts and Uncles

It was a beautiful fall day and both Hiccup and Astrid decided that five-year-old Helka and Asmund were old enough to meet Ruffnut and Tuffnut, with the visitation being supervised of course. Ruff and Tuff were more than happy to share their destructive ways with the young Haddock twins but Hiccup and Astrid quickly shutdown that idea fairly quickly. The twins were still fairly young and they were more likely to mimic their behavior later on in life and they all need just one set of twins who act like Ruffnut and Tuffnut.

During the visit they were all playing in the large with the dogs Toothless, Luna and Stormfly and the young parents looked on happily as their friends and potentially in-laws were getting along so well. The Haddock couple were so thankful that they had such a big support group that they could rely on all their lives.

Helka and Asmund were rather exited to see that their aunt and uncle Ruffnut and Tuffnut had a pet two-headed snake. Asmund was surprisingly the one who coward back behind his mother's leg and gagged with the snake began slithering up Tuffnut's arm. Helka on the other hand was rather eager to touch it. Stoick II cried any time he was brought close to the strange reptile, but was happy to observe at a distance when he wasn't eating dried cereal from his to-go cup.

"Why does he have two heads?" Helka asked as she studied the snake carefully. She was happy it didn't have fangs but rather flatter teeth. Ruffnut and Tuffnut said it was a constrictor, whatever that meant.

"It's a birth defect. Barch was born with two heads because something in his DNA was mixed up." Tuffnut began and Ruffnut playfully punched him in the shoulder. Helka, Asmund, and Stoick II laughed when Tuffnut bent over and groaned as if in serious pain though he was only exaggerating. Hiccup and Astrid cringed inwardly.

"He's cool! That's all that matters. Barf and Belch is awesome even if he's not like other snakes."

Helka and Asmund looked at each other then back at the snake. They knew they were different than other kids their age. Not only because their parents had said they had 'physical challenges' when Asmund realized he was having a hard time reading and during PE. They were awesome too if the things their parents said had anything to say about it. Still, they wanted a bit of assurance.

"Are we awesome too aunt Ruffnut?" Asmund asked while gripping his twin sister's hand. Hiccup and Astrid watched the exchange with confused eyes.

Tuffnut smiled brightly and pumped his fist in the air as if his favorite football team had just made a goal.

"Anyone who came from Hiccstrid in bed is totally awesome!" Tuffnut shouted gleefully and Hiccup and Astrid both decided to intervene while Ruffnut simply snickered at her brother's slight stupidity.

"Alright guys! Why don't we have dinner?" Hiccup said while lifting Helka and putting her on his shoulders to distract her when she opened her mouth to ask a question he did not want to answer at the moment.

"So...he means we _are_ awesome then?" Asmund asked when Hiccup reached out his arm and lifted the boy who laughed while clinging to his father's arm and shoulders like he was a jungle gym. Astrid laughed out loud when she could see her husband's knees about to buckle and got Helka to come to the kitchen to help her make dinner with Ruffnut. Asmund went to Tuffnut and began climbing on him while Hiccup took Stoick II clapped in joy.

"You proud of your father for being so strong?" Hiccup flexed his almost non-existent muscles.

Hiccup wasn't exactly expecting a response. Despite being 11 months old Stoick II hadn't really began saying any words other than a strange gurgling noise when around the dogs as if he was trying to talk to them. The doctor had said he should be speaking single syllable words by now, but with some babies they just took longer and there was nothing to worry about. Dr. Ingerman then said Stoick II might even skip the 'daddy' 'mamma' phase and begin saying other words like 'dog' or 'cat' a bit later. She said that's how Fishlegs was because it took so long to get him a hearing aid.

Sure enough, she was right.

"D...Dada s'rog!" Okay, so he missed the 'T' and the 'N', but it was still something.

A wide smile spread across Hiccup's lips and he called for his wife who was in the kitchen.

"Hey Astrid! He said my name first!" Astrid was quick to leave the kitchen while leaving Helka with Ruffnut. She had a surprised look on her face though tried to remain composed.

"He said his first word and I missed it!"

Hiccup snickered cockily and gave his wife that lopsided smile of his.

"Yep! Say it Stoick. Say 'Dada'."

Stoick II looked at Hiccup with a confused gaze. He then turned his head to Astrid and smiled brightly while clapping his hands. He reached out, wanting her to hold him.

"Mamma!" Hiccup's eyes widened and Astrid nearly doubled over laughing. She took Stoick happily and nuzzled his hair with her nose.

"I swear to Thor he said my name first! Common kiddo, say 'Dada'."

Stoick II laughed happily and shouted 'Mamma' again before adding on "S'rog"

"Guess you'll the only one to ever know if you're telling the truth babe." Astrid said before heading to the kitchen with her hips swaying tauntingly. Hiccup was stuck there holding a small baby in his arms who was clapping as if proud of himself.

"You happy traitor?"

Stoick laughed and chewed on his hand before throwing up his hand and touching Hiccup's mouth as if trying to point to him.

"Dada!"

* * *

Everything was going fine after dinner when all of a suddenly Asmund dropped to his knees gripping the side of his head. Knowing from his past experience this was a migraine and he wasn't on medication for them yet, Hiccup brought his son to his chest to try to sooth him until the pain could pass. Helka looked on with worry for this had been happening for a while now and each time it always worry her.

"Hey it's alright kiddo." Hiccup whispered to his son soothingly. Asmund sniffled and his his face in the crook of his father's shoulder, trying to hide from the light and noise in the room. He covered his right ear with one hand and used his left hand to cling to Hiccup's chest, his left ear being shielded by Hiccup's chest so he didn't have to hold it.

Eventually the migraine did pass but Asmund was left near exhausted. Ruffnut and Tuffnut agreed to let him and Astrid stay in the guest bed for the night since it was so late while Hiccup and Helka lay on the couch. Astrid went to bed early with her son curled up in the crook of her arms. Hiccup and Helka stayed up for a little while longer because Helka wanted to play 'Uno' with Ruffnut and Tuffnut until 10:30 at night. Hiccup knew for a fact that she would be sleeping a lot the next day. Stoick stayed in a home-made baby-bed made by four pillows, a neck pillow, and a bundle of blanket wrapped around him just beside Hiccup who was on the couch. Toothless, Luna, and Stormfly curled around the baby protectively.


	80. Medication

It was an average day for the Haddocks, but it wasn't a pleasant day for the twins for it was their annual appointment for their NF type 1. It was Hiccup's appointment day for his NF as well. During the doctor's appointment Hiccup got the medication Asmund needed for his migraines which happened to be the same one that his father was on for his own migraines. For Helka, Hiccup and Astrid were keeping an eye out for if she developed migraines, but as of this point she wasn't prone to them. It did though seem that she was at risk for high blood pressure which was one of the more severe symptoms of NF type. So now both Helka and Asmund are on medication for their NF just like their father.

They also found out that Hiccup himself now suffered from high blood pressure and his doctor would be putting him on medications to help lower it. He was also advised to take it easy and Hiccup did tell his doctor that he had to raise three kids and one of them was under one years old and running his own business. His doctor understood that and still advised him to take it easy.

As their doctors appointment ended and they headed home Hiccup and Astrid went to the pharmacy to pick up their medication. When they arrived at the house Astrid greeted them. She couldn't come to their appointments due to her schedule which was booked for when they were going and she couldn't cancel her own work for it would look bad for her business. Her boss had told her unless it was an emergency she would have to stay and run her business. Hiccup gave Astrid the news from the doctors appointment. She was visibly shocked and worried about her son and daughter, but she knew that it was always a possibility that this could happen to their kids. Astrid was also surprised about her husband's own newfound symptoms.

* * *

Throughout the day, Hiccup spent time trying to explain why Helka and Asmund had to take their meds. Of course they were hesitant about taking the pills which were ground up using a special tool and mixed with a single spoon of apple sauce. It tasted rather nasty, but what helped, helped.

Stoick II slept a lot of the day, having kept himself up yelling all night. It wasn't until around dinner that he awoke, wanting the small bit of baby food he got during every meal he was awake for. The baby was set in his high chair at one end of the table, Hiccup and Astrid sat on the right side of the table, and Helka and Asmund sat on the left side.

Dinner was mostly quiet, Helka not babbling like she tended to do. After they were all done eating, the twins went to their usual play spot in the corner where they used Lego's to create mini statues of different animals. Helka was more of the artist, Asmund mostly making blobs that could barely substitute for a duckling's head.

While they watched their kids play, Hiccup and Astrid sat on the couch with Stoick clinging to his father's chest. Hiccup dared not move for waking up the baby and having to deal with an hour of grumpy whining.

"I know we've been through it all before, but it hurts seeing my kids go through this. It's a different feeling. They're my own blood and I can't protect them from this invisible force." Astrid began speaking as she started putting a braid in Hiccup's hair that would no doubt come out in the shower later on.

Hiccup sighed as his wife messed with his hair, moving his finger so Stoick was holding it tightly in his sleep. He nodded his head, letting Astrid know he was listening to her.

"I know honey. We'll do this right though. We know the steps, know the rules. We've seen it all before. It'll hurt watching them hurt, but the good days will be rewarding." He grabbed her hand with his free one, kissing her wrist tenderly before letting her go so she would continue braiding his hair.

"I promise you that."

Astrid smiled warmly at her husband's genuine words. She knew he was telling the confident truth. The gleam in his forest greens and the way his sharp jaw tightened in concentrated told her that. Hiccup always let his jaw fall slack and his eyes were darting around with a guilty tint to them when he was lying. He also tended to stutter out of nervousness.

"I believe you babe. I just wish we could skip the bad days...I don't want them. It was hard enough watching you with them."

Hiccup nodded his head respectfully, smiling a little when he thought up a sassy response.

"I was even harder _going_ through them myself." He felt a light punch to his left shoulder and laughed quietly, making sure not to be so loud he woke up Stoick.

"I'm teasing you Milady. I wish it wouldn't happen either. It's going to though, and we'll be ready. We'll help them, through thick and thin. They'll always have us, from these young years to adulthood. I'll never leave them. I'll never leave _you._ "

Astrid smiled again, wider this time, and caught Hiccup's lips with hers, kissing him tenderly before pulling away when their little ones shouted "Ewe!" nearby. Hiccup looked at Helka who had shouted it loudest.

"You know Helka, one day you'll be kissing a husband of your own."

Helka's cheeks blushed red, her mouth and nose showing signs of disgust, while Asmund wrapped his arms around her in a hug as if he was scared she'd leave him for another little boy.

"I'll pass dad!" Helka shouted, making Hiccup cringe for fear of her waking Stoick. Astrid only laughed quietly.

"You know...I don't think I'd mind that." Hiccup mumbled. He made sure not to say it too loudly, because the twins at their age always seemed to want to do whatever their parents _didn't_ want them to do.

Children...


	81. Anniversary of a dead man

**(A/N) Sorry for the super short chapter guys and gals! It's getting hard to update because of family stuff.**

It was a gloomy and rainy day that matched the mood of the Haddocks. Today was the anniversary of the death of his father and the father of his half siblings' father as well, Oswald. They didn't want to make this day a day of mourning but a day of remembrance and celebration of life.

That morning Hiccup, Heather, and Dagur decided that they should go visit their father's graves and dedicated the rest of the day to telling stories of the past about them and their finest memories that they shared with them.

The visit was brief. Dagur and Heather decorated a little with new flowers and Hiccup swept his father's grave and took a few minutes kneeling down to dust off the grave stone with his hand. He felt an odd squeezing feeling in his chest as he touched the grave stone and read the name on it. It was always an experience coming here. Seeing the name and the date of death somehow reminded him that it was all real. Reminded him his father was dead and not simply away on another one of his many business trips.

Heather and Dagur may not have been as close to their father as Hiccup was to his, but they still sympathized with him and felt their own grief overwhelm them. Something about anniversaries just did that. Reminded you of what could have been and what would never happen within the next few years.

Hiccup and Valka shared all the wonderful times that they shared with Stoick. Even Astrid got in on that action by telling her fondest memories of her late father-in-law while Dagur and Heather shared their memories of their father, while Helka and Asmund loved hearing about their grandfather that they will never get to meet and even Stoick II was intrigue with all of the adults talking.

As the day was filled with laughter Hiccup couldn't help bur feel his father's presence around him with a strong hand being placed on his shoulder and he could of sworn that he could hear his father's booming laughter in his ear. Dagur and Heather could also feel their father's presence around them and Mala could only hold her husband's hand tightly and wrap her other arm around him as she knew that the loss of his father was hard since he often talked in great lengths to her about what a great man he was and how he only hopes to be half the man Oswald was and be a great father like he was to him and his sister.

As the day turned into night and everyone went home and got settled in for the night both Hiccup and Astrid talk about how that their kids got to know their grandfather and half grandfather today because they were born before they could even meet them. Earlier that week Hiccup got a portrait tattoo of a younger version of him and father on his chest as another way to honor his father. Dagur and Heather also got portrait tattoos for their father at the same time as Hiccup, to honor him as well as to carry out his legacy by trying to start the business their father wanted to start as well as to start foundations and organisations for kids, teens, and adults of all ages who have special needs like themselves and their half-brother as well as their half nieces and nephews.

Both Hiccup and Astrid as well as Valka were excited and felt honored and touched by this that this is how both Dagur and Heather were going to go about honoring their father and even though Dagur would be helping Heather he still wanted to do more to honor his father, other doing this with his sister full time. So, Dagur took on Oswald and Stoick's old businessmen, bringing it back up after it had taken a fall in publicity and sells.

As Astrid lay next to her husband, hand on his chest and bare arm draped over him thanks to her blue tank top being so short on the sleeves, she looked up at his dozing forest greens and could see a spark in them. It was obvious he felt good about telling their kids the memories of his father.

"I'm proud of you." Astrid whispered with a warm smile. Hiccup responded with a hum before leaning down and kissing her passionately. When he pulled away they both laid back and closed their eyes, falling asleep with the pets at the foot of the bed.


	82. Lost

**(A/N) I'm gonna put the warning here now. Sad chapter. Grab your tissues. That's all I'm gonna say because it is hard to write myself.**

It was early fall when Hiccup and Astrid started to notice that Toothless was not as active as he usually was and that his appetite was slowly decreasing. He was being picky about what he ate as well and Both Luna and Stormfly began keeping their distance from him. This was concerning to Toothless' owners so Hiccup and Astrid took Toothless to the vet and they found out that Toothless had kidney disease and arthritis as well and that he would have only an estimate of a few more years left to live, so they decided to make what little time they have with Toothless the best they could, creating a bucket list for Toothless for things they want to do with him before he would pass away.

During this time they took Toothless on all sorts of trips and adventures all around the country and during this time Toothless and Luna decided to mate and they found out that she was pregnant with a litter of three puppies which they decided to keep and have trained as service animals for Hiccup and the twins Helka and Asmund. Even though Helka and Asmund didn't understand what was happening to Toothless and why they were doing this, Hiccup and Astrid tried their best to explain to them why. Even then it was hard because Toothless had been apart of Hiccup's life since he was about four or five years old and had been at his side since.

Through all they'd been together, fighting what life had decided to throw at them, it's going to be hard saying goodbye to his best friend when the time came.

Some of the things the Haddock's did to make Toothless' last day memorable were taking a road trip across the country and swimming in the ocean, making his favorite food even though he didn't always eat it, taking a lot of pictures and creating a digital scrapbook of all the memories they had shared throughout his life. They had his paw print encased in plaster as reminders of his great life as well.

Then one day when Toothless went to take a nap he didn't wake up. When Hiccup tried to wake him up for dinner, the dog didn't rouse, so that was when he knew that his best friend had passed away. Hiccup broke down against Toothless like he had many times when he was little and in pain. That was how Astrid found him and she realized that Toothless had passed away and sat down next to him and just hugged her husband as he mourned his longest best friend.

Later, Hiccup and his wife made all of the arrangements to have Toothless cremated. They called their family about what happened and they also had to tell their children that Toothless had passed away. Once they get Toothless' ashes they placed them on the fireplace mantel next to a picture of him and copy of his footprint that they had cast in plaster. Later that night Luna had her puppies. They decided that the black one named Ruthless who looked like Toothless but with blue eyes would go to Hiccup, the white with black ears and blue eyes little one named Midnight would go to Asmund, and the other white one with green eyes and black paws and ears-Eclipse-would go to Helka.

It took a few weeks before Hiccup could think of his best bud without wanting to cry. He began suffering more migraines as the stress he'd been through affected his side effects induced by his Neurofibromatosis diagnosis. He took off a couple of days from the forge when the migraines and nausea got too bad, and Astrid brought his new puppy to him in an attempt to help form a bond that once was with the next generation of Toothless' family line.

"Thanks babe. How are the k-kids d-doing?" Hiccup stuttered out as he tried to hide his eyes in the pillow, the simple sound of rain on their bedroom window setting his very brain on fire. Astrid set the black, hyperactive puppy next to her husband's shoulder, hopeful that Hiccup would somehow find a connection which could help him in these hard times.

"You worry too much you dork. They're just fine. A little upset about the loss, but they absolutely _adore_ Midnight and Eclipse." Astrid rubbed comforting circles in Hiccup's back who sighed in relief at the soothing contact. She chuckled lightly when Ruthless cooed curiously, before growling in concern as he pawed his way at Hiccup's hair. The puppy had only recently opened his eyes and was still weening off of his mama, though he was full of energy despite only being about the size of Hiccup's own hand. Little thing didn't even had claws or teeth yet.

"I think he's worried about you." Astrid said with a content sigh

when Hiccup let out his own growl because Ruthless had pulled his hair back and let light into his sensitive eyes. The puppy's tiny barks weren't helping either.

"He's too hyperactive. Keeps letting light into 'm eyes." Hiccup mumbled in frustration. Normally he didn't have this kind of attitude nowadays, but Astrid knew he was just in pain and irritable. He was also grieving which was just the icing on the cake.

"Maybe he can help take your mind off of the headache." Headache was an understatement Astrid knew, but she wanted to add some light to the mood.

As if understanding what she was saying, Ruthless stopped barking and shoved himself in the crook between Hiccup's left elbow and his shoulder so his tiny black body was pressed against his owner's left cheek. Hiccup sighed at the warm contact and something other than his hair covering his eyes so they didn't burn at the light. Ruthless' soft breathing also helped keep his brain off of the irritating rain outside which was making his ears throb.

"I guess. Th-thanks little guy." Hiccup whispered as he was already beginning to fall asleep.

He dreamed of Toothless only to wake up to Ruthless, but somehow the puppy being next to him and the now soothed migraine made it easier to let go of the bond that once was and begin building on the one that was now just growing.


	83. Puppy Training

**(A/N) Guess who's finally back! First half by Pandamaster97720, second half by yours truly. I hope you guys and gals enjoy this combined work!**

It was only a few months since Toothless died when Luna gave birth to her puppies. The Haddock's couldn't give her puppies up for adoption so they decided to adopt themselves to honor the life of Toothless, and even though it would be hard at first, they wanted to do this. Both Hiccup and Astrid knew that they wanted to train the puppies to be service dogs for their children once they got older and they would enlist the help of Mala to help train them as service dogs. Lately Luna had been hanging around Hiccup more, sensing that the death of Toothless had greatly affected him because he had known him longer than she did despite them being mates. She had taken to giving comfort to him when he would start to feel sad while thinking about his best friend.

When the time came Eclipse, Midnight, and Ruthless would be trained to help Hiccup and Helka along with her twin Asmund. During this time of grief they took it upon themselves to look back and appreciate all the times they shared with Toothless, moving forward with life without him no matter how hard it hurts. They knew that Toothless would want them to live their lives to the fullest, as he had helped Hiccup do many times in his hard childhood.

Within the coming weeks Hiccup and Astrid were getting their dogs register and taking them to get their puppy shots and their checkups as well.

It would take months until the puppies would be certified as serves dogs, but that was fine with the Haddock's because they knew that the puppies need the right and proper training to help them even though Eclipse, Midnight, and Ruthless were already close to and protective of them. Even though Luna wouldn't be trained as a serves dog, she was very attached to Hiccup and Astrid not to mention their kids especially Helka and Asmund due to the fact they had spent the most time with Toothless before he had passed away, regardless of her characteristics as a more wild, unattached dog.

By the time the puppies were around 6 months old they began basic training with Mala. Hiccup and Astrid already had the details and paperwork ready to register them to be service animals when they were ready. Helka had become immensely attached to Midnight, the pure black puppy of the breed with green eyes like her father. Asmund took to Eclipse, the black one with white paws and green eyes. Ruthless was still attached to Hiccup, tugging at the man's ears with his just-now-showing teeth when he was trying to sleep, or kneading his back like a cat would when Hiccup was sleeping on his stomach. Unlike the other two, Ruthless was black with white ears and a white spot on his forehead, his eyes blue. He had started out completely black, but grew the white spots when he got more fur on his tiny body.

"Sit!" Helka, now 7 years old and doing well in her schooling, shouted with glee while holding a treat above her puppy's head. Midnight, being the intelligent girl she was, did exactly as asked despite only being 7 months old and about as long as Helka's little arm.

Asmund was making progress with Eclipse as well. The puppy had been taught to stay quiet when he was having his normal headaches, and would sit next to him on the couch, or in his lap at the table, without ever begging for attention or food. Eclipse was the rather laid back one of the litter.

Ruthless stayed with Hiccup nearly every night so long as he didn't fall asleep next to his mama. Every one of the dogs had began sleeping on their own with their preferred child, except for Ruthless who still slept with his mother one to two nights a week. He had learned not to bark if Hiccup was having a migraine, and had also learned to sniff out Hiccup's prosthetic leg based on his scent just like Toothless had when his owner would lose it in the mornings.

"They're doing really well." Mala said as she watched the veterinarian at the shelter give the puppies their flee treatments. With how big the back yard was in the Haddock household, and with how tall the grass could get in the spring, Luna tended to bring them in often.

"They really are. Helka and Asmund absolutely adore them." Astrid was holding her 3 almost 4 year old boy in her arms who was constantly squealing and trying to reach out for the dogs held in their kennels. Stoick the second was growing to look like his father and grandfather, red hair, green-ish eyes, and chubby limbs his grandfather once had.

Mala smiled brightly and offered her arms to the boy who eagerly had her hold him. Why as Helka and Asmund grew out of being carried around rather quickly, wanting to have each other's attention more than the attention of their parents, Stoick II was always eager to be lifted into the air instead of walking on his own two feat.

"You're a spoiled little one aren't you? Have you been using that charm of yours to get your way from everyone in the city little man?" Stoick II laughed and clapped his hands. He had grown quite fond of Mala over the past few months.

"Yep! My pre-school teacher loves me! I'm doing really well with my ABCs that Daddy has been teaching me!" The boy's voice dropped to something just above a whisper, leaning in towards Mala's ear and cupping a hand over the side of his mouth.

"Mommy and my Teachers both say I'm getting really handsome." Mala chuckled at that, shaking her hand playfully before passing the boy back off to his mother. Astrid went to watch the kids play with the other animals while Hiccup talked to Mala.

"He's really sure of himself. Reminds me of another little boy I used to work with." Hiccup laughed quietly at that, running a hand through his hair. Ruthless ran up to him, pawing at his left knee so his boy would pick him up. Hiccup did as asked, picking the little thing up and coddling him against his chest.

"Yeah. Long time huh?"

Mala chuckled this time, winking and reaching out a hand for him to shake.

"Seems like yesterday your mother was bringing you in. Now you've come to me to talk about _your own_ children."

Hiccup nodded his head, enjoying the calming breeze that came into the outdoor shelter before he heard an angry shout and realized the twins were wrestling again because on had touched the other's dog. The puppies both sat on top of them, clinging to their hair like kittens while the two rolled over each other.

"Eh, I should probably go take care of that since m'lady has Stoick." Hiccup winked at Mala, sticking his tongue out slightly after handing her Ruthless so he didn't injury the puppy while separating his children. Hiccup then went to grab Helka who was on top, lifting her onto his shoulders. She squirmed for a few seconds until he scolded her loudly, making the once furious little girl duck her head in embarrassment and hold onto her daddy's neck while he carried her.

Hiccup gave Asmund a sharp look, telling them both this was no way to act in public. The little boy tried to protest by shouting in a cracked, embarrassed voice, but Astrid quickly told him he would have to do every one of his chores (picking up toys from the night before with his sister and cleaning their bedroom while Helka helped her mother do the dishes) before he would be allowed to watch TV for talking back to his parents. Helka, of course, tried to tease him but Hiccup gave her calve muscles he was keeping hold of while she was on his shoulders a tighter squeeze in warning to bite her tongue.

Once that little argument was taken care of, Hiccup and Astrid decided to take their children, and the puppies, for a picnic they had planned previously in the day.

* * *

About 4 months later the puppies were old enough to start official training, Luna always staying nearby during the program to keep an eye on her children. The puppies seemed to have a natural instinct to protect, but didn't get aggressive while protecting, just like their father had. Ruthless was a little bit harder to work with do to his hyperactive attitude, but all would work out within the next year or two Hiccup was sure.


	84. Helping a Father in Need

Today was a school holiday that fell on a Friday so the kids had a three day weekend. Hiccup and Astrid decided to take advantage of the long weekend and have a family day picking apples at one of the orchards close to their home. They decided to bring Heather and her boyfriend and Dagur and his wife Mala to try to get their minds off the death of Toothless which was only a few months ago and they brought their dogs with them to enjoy these fall festivities.

As they wait for their friends to come to their home so they could carpool together Hiccup and Astrid got the kids ready for a long day in the chilly air, having Asmund and Helka wear their fur hoodies and putting Stoick II in a green long sleeve one-piece outfit and his fur boots since he'd begun really learning how to walk with thick shoes on, being 3 years old.

"Why do I have to wear this? It's baby clothes!" Stoick protested stubbornly when Astrid buttoned the top slit in the one-piece that opened wider so the person wearing it could slide right in like with a onesie.

One part of Astrid wanted to admit it was partially because Stoick was still as small as he was compared to other 3 year olds, and partially because he looked adorable in the outfit. The other side of her-the more logical, motherly side-told her saying such things would only make the boy even angrier.

"It's because you need to keep warm Stoick. That and this outfit's colors match the season! You don't want to wear something like blue or purple during the Autumn season do you?"

Stoick bit his thumbnail, a habit he had. After thinking for a moment, he shook his head, partially understanding what Astrid was trying to say.

"Dad! It's not fair! I don't need to wear something this _thick,_ and the fur jacket looks like it was made for a boy!" Helka protested when Hiccup zipped the jacket up the front of his 7 year old daughter, trying to coax her into wearing a pare of pink gloves Astrid had gotten her when shopping with Heather a few weeks ago.

"This is too heavy! How am I going to pick any apples in this? Why do I need to wear these itchy gloves Dad?" Asmund picked up on his sister's irritated mood as he always did as if they had a rule between them saying they always had to share the same emotions. He himself was tugging on his tight black gloves, wanting them to be separated from his sensitive 7 year old hands.

Hiccup shook his head slowly, dragging a hand down his face wear his stubble scratched his hand. He tended to grow thicker facial hair during the colder months.

"You have to keep warm." Hiccup leaned forward, smirking slightly and showing a mischievous smile. "And besides, the leather will protect you from any kind of creatures that lurk in orchards and forests."

Helka and Asmund raised there eyebrows in surprise, clinging to their fur jackets subconsciously. Astrid almost glared at Hiccup, but he shrugged, smiling at her in that way he did to tell her he wasn't going to go too far.

"What do you mean? What kind of 'creatures' hide in forests and orchards?" Helka asked, more curious than fearful as she always was.

Hiccup shrugged, smiling brighter and eyes shining in the way they did when he was just being himself. "Well, there are trolls, goblins... _dragons._ Eh, I wouldn't worry if I were you two. They only come to the forests when it's cold to hide from the bad weather, other wise dragons hide in oceans or volcanoes and trolls live underground or under bridges. Wear your fur vests, and you'll be protected. They _hate_ the scratchy material. But..." Hiccup's voice went a pitch higher, his eyes rolling and shoulders sagging. "If you hate the material in your jackets and gloves _that_ much, I guess your daddy can _try_ to protect you, but the jackets will definitely keep them _far_ away."

By the end of this tall tale, Helka and Asmund proudly wore their vests like armor as if they felt some sort of pride by the fact their 'scratchy material' would scare off the mean creatures in forests and orchards.

Hiccup now stood by Astrid, Stoick II holding onto his hand with his free tiny hand in his mouth while he stared into the distance, obviously in his own little world.

Astrid gently punched her husband in the shoulder, glaring at him playfully but smiling nonetheless.

"If the twins start having nightmares about dragons and trolls Mr. Haddock, _you_ will be the one staying up all night with them. If they try to climb into our bed, I will personally sleep in the guest room while you deal with the children rolling in their sleep or, possibly, wetting the bed." She jabbed a finger in his chest, glaring sternly. "That's a _promise._ "

Hiccup only smiled, saluting her sarcastically. They both continued getting ready for the day.

Once everyone got to the Haddock Household, Hiccup and Astrid were surprised that they found out that Mala and Dagur were already expecting their first child. Not only that, but they were expecting triplets so Mala would be taking it easy with this trip as she was one month along. Everyone was happy with news and offered any kind of help if Dagur and Mala would need it. The expecting couple made it clear they were thankful that they had a supportive group that they could always fall back on.

While on the trip Dagur asked Hiccup if they would be able to talk later and Hiccup agreed. Once they stopped at an orchard to pick apples Hiccup told Astrid that he and Dagur needed to talk about something and that they would catch up with the group in a few. Astrid agreed and they decided to go to the shop/building to get information about what kind of apples are in seasons and where they would be able pick them as well as get some farm fresh apple cider to take home with them. They also made sure to get Caramel Apples for Helka and Asmund some.

While Astrid and Mala were taking care of the kids, Hiccup pulled Dagur to a corner where a bench sat just next to the men's restroom. He offered his brother one of the juices they'd brought as snacks and let him know he could tell him about whatever was on his mind.

Dagur expressed his concerns about how he and Mala were eventually going to provide for their family that was almost with them and he asked if he could work for Hiccup at his forge to help supplement their income. Even though Mala made good money with her job it was still a teacher salary and on top with her therapy work that she does, he expressed worries that they might not have enough to get by and still have some left over to enjoy their life with their kids.

"I mean, I know she has two jobs, but what about when she can't work as many hours because she's taking care of the kids? What if one of the triplets had some sort of need that we didn't have the money for after they were born? I want to be able to pay for them to have their independent rooms when they're older, but I also don't want to just save everything and not have anything extra because I want to spend time with them and go places after they'd born too."

Hiccup was shocked to hear this coming from his usually strong-minded half brother, but he understood his fears. He was there before after all, and he was more than happy to agree to hire him. Dagur would need to get some training and some first hand experience. Hiccup told him that he would let him do an apprenticeship with Gobber for a few months before he would let him work for him and Dagur agreed. He knew that everyone needed some experiences before fulfilling a career, so they made the plan that Hiccup would call Gobber later on to tell him about his half brother wanting to become a blacksmith and wanted to work for him for a year before working for him at his forge.

As they headed back Hiccup told Astrid what Dagur told him and she was shocked about this revelation in Dagur's character but she understood where he was coming from and supported him and was willing to help in any way she could. Mala was proud of Dagur stepping up to become the man of the house and taking charge about wanting to provide for them especially when she would be going on maternity leave and not be able to work even though her maternity leave would be paid.

It was nice to know that they would have an extra cushion of money in case something unexpected would come up and they needed the cash.

As soon as Hiccup and Astrid got home once their kids were fast asleep, Hiccup called Gobber about this proposition with his half brother and he was more than happy to teach him and Gobber told his old apprentice that Dagur could start working with him tomorrow. He also offered that even though it's just an internship he would pay Dagur for the work that he would do with him.

Dagur couldn't be happier and couldn't wait for tomorrow and he couldn't wait to tell Mala about this as well when Hiccup called him about the proposition.


End file.
